IC-NRLF 


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RARE  WESTERN  BOOKS 


n^'-n^S 


DAHCOTAH; 


OR, 


LIFE  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THE  SIOUX 


AROUND    FORT    SNELLING. 


BY    MRS.    MARY    EASTMAN, 


PREFACE  BY  MRS.  C.  M.  KIRKLAND. 


ILLUSTRATED  FROM   DRAWINGS   BY   CAPTAIN   EASTMAN. 


NEW    YORK: 
JOHN    WILEY,    161    BROADWAY, 

1849. 


£99 


I  ES.3 


ENTERED,  accwrdhigto  Ae't  t>f*  Cbngiess ;  la  *Ke- yoar  1849,  by 
JOHN    WILEY, 

In  the  Clerk's   Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  tho 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


THOMAB    B.    SMITH,    STKREOTYPKR, 
'216  WILMAM  STREET,  N.  T. 


TO    HENRY    SIBLEY,    ESQ., 


HOUSE    OF   REPRESENTATIVES. 


IT  was  my  purpose  to  dedicate,  exclusively,  these  pages  to  my 
beloved  parents.  What  correctness  of  sentiment  appears  in  this 
book  is  mainly  ascribable  to  a  principle  they  endeavored  to  instil 
into  the  minds  of  their  children,  that  purity  of  heart  and  intel 
lectual  attainment  are  never  more  appropriately  exercised  than  in 
promoting  the  good  of  our  fellow-creatures. 

Yet  the  sincere  sentiments  of  respect  and  regard  that  I  enter 
tain  for  you,  the  remembrance  of  the  many  acts  of  friendship 
received  from  you  during  my  residence  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  the 
assurance  that  you  are  ever  prompt  to  assist  and  protect  the 
Indian,  induce  me  to  unite  your  name  with  those  most  dear  to  me 
in  this  dedication.* 

An  additional  inducement  is,  that  no  one  knows  better  than 
yourself  the  opportunities  that  presented  themselves  to  collect 
materials  for  these  legends,  and  with  what  interest  these  occa 
sions  were  improved.  With  whatever  favor  this  little  work  may 
be  received  it  is  a  most  pleasing  reflection  to  me,  that  the  object 
in  publishing  it  being  to  excite  attention  to  the  moral  wants  of  the 
Dahcotahs,  will  be  kindly  appreciated  by  the  friends  of  humanity, 
and  by  none  more  readily  than  yourself. 

Very  truly  yours, 

MARY  H.  EASTMAN. 

New  London,  March  1st,  1849. 

M24514 


PREFACE. 


MY  only  title  to  the  office  of  editor  in  the  present  case  is  some 
practice  in  such  matters,  with  a  very  warm  interest  in  all,  whether 
relating  to  past  or  present,  that  concerns  our  western  country.  Mrs. 
Eastman, — wife  of  Captain  Eastman,  and  daughter  of  Dr.  Hender 
son,  both  of  the  U.  S.  army, — is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
customs,  superstitions,  and  leading  ideas  of  the  Dahcotahs,  whose 
vicinity  to  Fort  Snelling,  and  frequent  intercourse  with  its  inmates, 
have  brought  them  much  under  the  notice  of  the  officers  and  ladies 
of  the  garrison.  She  has  no  occasion  to  present  the  Indian  in  a 
theatrical  garb — a  mere  thing  of  paint  and  feathers,  less  like  the 
orio-inal  than  his  own  rude  delineation  on  birch-bark  or  deer-skin. 

O 

The  reader  will  find  in  the  following  pages  living  men  and  women, 
whose  feelings  are  in  many  respects  like  his  own,  and  whose  mo 
tives  of  action  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  rest  of  the  world, 
though  far  less  artfully  covered  up  and  disguised  under  pleasant 
names.  !r  Envy,  hatred  and  malice,  and  all  un charitableness,"  stand 
out,  unblushing,  in  Indian  life. /The  first  is  not  called  emulation, 
nor  th^econcfjust  indignation  or  merited  contempt,  nor  the  third 
zeal  for  truth,  nor  the  fourth  keen  discernment  of  character. 
Anger  and  revenge  are  carried  out  honestly  to  their  natural  fruit 

injury  to  others/  Among  the  Indians  this  takes  the  form  of 

murder,  while  with  us  it  is  obliged  to  content  itself  with  slander, 
or  cunning  depreciation.  £jn  short,  the  study  of  Indian  character 
is  the  study  of  the  unregenerate  human  heart ;  and  the  writer  of 
these  sketches  of  the  Dahcotahs  presents  it  as  such,  with  express 


PREFACE. 


and  solemn  reference  to  the  duty  of  those  who  have  "  the  words 
of  eternal  life  "  to  apply  them  to  the  wretched  condition  of  the 
red  man,  who  is,  perhaps,  with  all  his  ignorance,  quite  as  well  pre 
pared  to  receive  them  as  many  of  those  who  are  already  wise  in 
their  own  eyes.  The  very  degradation  and  misery  in  which  he 
lives,  and  of  which  he  is  not  unable  to  perceive  some  of  the  causes, 
prepare  him  to  welcome  the  instruction  which  promises  better 
things.  Evils  which  are  covered  up  under  the  smoothness  of 
civilization,  stand  out  in  all  their  horrible  deformity  in  the  abandon 
of  savage  life ;  the  Indian  cannot  get  even  one  gleam  of  light,  with 
out  instantly  perceiving  the  darkness  around  him.  Here,  then,  is 
encouragement  to  paint  him  as  he  is,  that  the  hearts  of  the  good 
may  be  moved  at  his  destitute  and  unhappy  state  ;  to  set  forth  his 
wants  and  his  claims,  that  ignorance  may  no  longer  be  pleaded  as 
an  excuse  for  withholding,  from  the  original  proprietor  of  the  soil, 
the  compensation  or  atonement  which  is  demanded  at  once  by 
justice,  honor,  and  humanity. 

Authentic  pictures  of  Indian  life  have  another  and  a  different 
lvalue,  in  a  literary  point  of  view.  In  the  history  and  character  of 
jthe  aborigines  is  enveloped  all  the  distinct  and  characteristic  poetic 
/  material  to  which  we,  as  Americans,  have  an  unquestioned  right. 
Here  is  a  peculiar  race,  of  most  unfathomable  origin,  possessed  of 
the  qualities  which  have  always  prompted  poetry,  and  living  lives 
which  are  to  us  as  shadowy  as  those  of  the  Ossianic  heroes ;  our 
own,,  and  passing  away — while  we  take  no  pains  to  arrest  their 
fleeting  traits  or  to  record  their  picturesque  traditions.  \  Yet  we  love 
poetry ;  are  ambitious  of  a  literature  of  our  own,  and  sink  back 
dejected  when  we  are  convicted  of  imitation.  Why  is  it  that  we 
lack  interest  in  things  at  home  ?  Sismondi  has  a  passage  to  this 
effect : — 

"  The  literature  of  other  countries  has  been  frequently  adopted 
by  a  young  nation  with  a  sort  of  fanatical  admiration.  The  genius 
of  those  countries  having  been  so  often  placed  before  it  as  the  perfect 
model  of  all  greatness  and  all  beauty,  every  spontaneous  movement 


PREFACE. 


has  been  repressed,  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  most  servile 
imitation ;  and  every  national  attempt  to  develop  an  original  char 
acter  has  been  sacrificed  to  the  reproduction  of  something  conform 
able  to  the  model  which  has  been  always  before  its  eyes." 

This  is  certainly  true  of  us,  since  we  not  only  adopt  the  English 
view  of  everything,  but  confine  ourselves  to  the  very  subjects  and 
imagery  which  have  become  consecrated  to  us  by  love  and  habit. 
i  Not  to  enter  into  the  general  subject  of  our  disposition  to  parrot- 
ism,  our  neglect  of  Indian  material  in  particular  may  be  in  part  ac 
counted  for,  by  our  having  become  acquainted  with  the  aborigines  / 
after  the  most  unpoetical  fashion,  in  trying  to  cheat  them  out  of  / 
their  lands,  or  shooting  them  when  they  declined  being  cheated  ; 
they,  in  their  turn,  driven  to  the  resource  of  the  weak  and  the  ig 
norant,  counterplotting  us,  and  taking,  by  means  of  blood  and  fire, 
what  we  would  not  give  them  in  fair  compensation.  This  has  made 
our  business  relations  very  unpleasant ;  and  everybody  knows  that 
when  this  becomes  the  case,  it  is  hard  for  parties  to  do  justice  to 
each  other's  good  or  available  qualities.  If  we  had  only  read 
about  the  Indians,  as  a  people  living  in  the  mountain-fastnesses  of 
Greece,  or  the  broad  plains  of  Transylvania,  we  should  without 
difficulty  have  discovered  the  romantic  elements  of  their  character. 
But  as  the  effect  of  remoteness  is  produced  by  time  as  well  as 
distance,  it  is  surely  worth  while  to  treasure  up  their  legends  for 
oitrjDOsterity,  who  will  justly  consider  us  very  selfish,  if  we  throw 
away  what  will  be  a  treasure  to  them,  merely  because  we  cannot 
or  will  not  use  it  ourselves.  J 

A  prominent  ground  of  the  slight  regard  in  which  the  English 
hold  American  literature,  or  at  least  one  of  the  most  plausible 
reasons  given  for  it,  is  our  want  of  originality,  particularly  in  point 
of  subject  matter.  It  is  said  that  our  imitativeness  is  so  servile, 
that  for  the  sake  of  following  English  models,  at  an  immeasurable 
distance,  we  neglect  the  new  and  grand  material  which  lies  all 
around  us,  in  the  sublime  features,  of  £mr  ..cfiimjtr^,  in  our  new  and 
striking  circumstances,  in  our  peculiar  history  and  splendid  pros- 


PREFACE. 


pects,  and,  above  all,  in  the  character,  superstitions,  and  legends 

of  our  aborigines,  who,  to  eyes  across  the  water,  look  like  poetical 

beings.     We  are  continually  reproached  by  British  writers  for  the 

obtuse  carelessness  with  which  we  are  allowing  these  people,  with 

so  much  of  the  heroic  element  in  their  lives,  and  so  much  of  the 

\  mysterious  in  their  origin,  to  go  into  the  annihilation  which  seems 

1  their  inevitable  fate  as  civilization  advances,  without  an  effort  to 

secure  and  record  all  that  they  are  able  to  communicate  respecting 

/  themselves. 

And  the  reproach  is  just.    I  In  our  hurry  of  utilitarian  progress, 

we  have  either  forgotten  the  Indian  altogether,  or  looked  upon 

him  only  in  a  business  point  of  view,  as  we  do  almost  everything 

else ;  as  a  thriftless,  treacherous,  drunken  fellow,  who  knows  just 

enough  to  be  troublesome,  and  who  must  be  cajoled  or  forced  into 

leaving  his  hunting-grounds  for  the  occupation  of  very  orderly  and 

virtuous  white  people,  who  sell  him  gunpowder  and  whiskey,  but 

send  him  now  and  then  a  missionary  to  teach  him  that  it  is  wrong 

to  get  drunk  and  murder  his  neighbor,  j  To  look  upon  the  Indian 

i    with  much  regard,  even  in  the  light  of  literary  material,  would  be 

I  inconvenient ;  for  the  moment  we  recognize  in  him  a  mind,  a  heart, 

\  a  soul, — the  recollection  of  the  position  in  which  we  stand  towards 

\  him  becomes  thorny,  and  we  begin  dimly  to  remember  certain 

i  duties  belonging  to  our  Christian  profession,  which  we  have  sadly 

\  neglected  with  regard  to  the  sons  of  the  forest,  whom  we  have 

'driven  before  us  just  as  fast  as  we  have  required  or  desired  their 

Uands.     A  few  efforts  have  been  made,  not  only  to  bring  the  poetry 

of  their  history  into  notice,  but  to  do  them  substantial  good  ;  the 

public  heart,  however,  has  never  responded  to  the  feelings  of  those 

who,  from  living  in  contact  with  the  Indians,  have  felt  this  interest 

in  them,  j  To  most  Americans,  the  red  man  is,  to  this  day,  just 

what  he  was  to  the  first  settlers  of  the  country — a  being  with  soul 

enough  to  be  blameable  for  doing  wrong,  but  not  enough  to  claim 

Christian  brotherhood,  or  to  make  it  very  sinfu}  to  shoot  him  like 

a  dog,  upon  the  slightest  provocation  or  alarm.!    While  this  feel- 


PREFACE. 


ing  continues,  we  shall  not  look  to  him  for  poetry;  and  the  only 
imaginative  writing  in  which  he  is  likely  to  be  generally  used  as 
material,  will  be  kindred  to  that  known  by  the  appropriate  title 
of  "Pirate  Literature."  Mr.  Cooper  and  Miss  Sedgwick  are, 
perhaps,  alone  among  our  writers  in  their  attempts  to  do  the  In 
dian  justice,  while  making  him  the  poetical  machine  in  fiction. 

Missionaries,  however,  as  well  as  others  who  have  lived  among 
the  aborigines  for  purely  benevolent  purposes,  have  discovered  in 
them  capabilities  and  docility  which  may  put  to  the  blush  many 
of  the  whites  who  despise  and  hate  them.  "Not  only  in  individual 
cases,  but  in  more  extended  instances,  the  Indian  has  been  found 
susceptible  of  religious  and  moral  instruction ;  his  heart  has  warmed 
to  kindness,  like  any  other  man's  ;  he  has  been  able  to  perceive  the 
benefits  of  regular  industry ;  his  head  has  proved  as  clear  in  the 
apprehension  of  the  distinction  between  right  and  wrong  as  that 
of  the  more  highly  cultivated  moralist ;  and  he  receives  the  funda 
mental  truths  of  the  gospel  with  an  avidity,  and  applies  them — at 
least  to  the  lives  and  characters  of  his  neighbors — with  a  keenness, 
which  show  him  to  be  not  far  behind  the  rest  of  mankind  in  sensi 
bility  and  acuteness.  \  Without  referring  to  the  testimony  of  the 
elder  missionaries,  which  is  abundant,  I  remember  a  most  touching 
account,  by  Rev.  George  Duineld,  jr.,  of  piety  in  an  Indian  wig 
wam,,  which  I  would  gladly  transfer  to  these  pages  did  their  limits 
admit.  It  could  be  proved  by  overwhelming  testimony,  that  the  In 
dian  is  as  susceptible  of  good  as  his  white  brother.  But  it  is  not  ne 
cessary  in  this  place  to  urge  his  claim  to  our  attention  on  the  ground 
of  his  moral  and  religious  capabilities.  Setting  them  aside,  he  has 
as  many  qualifications  for  the  heroic  character  as  Ajax,  or  even 
Achilles,  /tie  is  as  brave,  daring,  and  ruthless ;  as  passionate,  as 
revengeful,  as  superstitious,  as  haughty.  He  will  obey  his  medi 
cine  man,  though  with  fury  in  his  heart  and  injurious  words  upon 
his  lips ;  he  will  fight  to  the  death  for  a  wife,  whom  he  will  after 
wards  treat  with  the  most  sovereign  neglect.  He  understands  and 
accepts  the  laws  of  spoil,  and  carries  them  out  with  the  most  chir- 

Al 


PREFACE. 


alric  precision  ;  his  torture  of  prisoners  does  not  exceed  those  which 
formed  part  of  the  "  triumphs"  of  old  ;  his  plan  of  scalping  is  far 
neater  and  more  expeditious  than  that  of  dragging  a  dead  enemy 
thrice  round  the  camp  by  the  heels.  He  loves  splendor,  and  gets 
all  he  can  of  it ;  and  there  is  little  essential  difference,  in  this  re 
gard,  between  gold  and  red  paint,  between  diamonds  and  wam- 
i  pum.  He  has  great  ancestral  pride — a  feeling  much  in  esteem  for 
its  ennobling  powers  ;  and  the  totem  has  all  the  meaning  and  use 
of  any  other  armorial  bearing.  ^lajkjhe  endurance  of  fatigue,  hun 
ger,  thirst,  and  exposure,  th^T  forest  hero^ms  no  superior;  in  mili 
tary  affairs  he  fully  adopts  the  orthodox  maxim  that  all  stratagems 
f~"are  lawful  in  war/  In  short,  nothing  is  wanting  but  a  Homer  to 
build  our  Iliad  material  into  "lofty  rhyme,"  or  a  Scott  to  weave  it 
into  border  romance ;  and  as  we  are  encouraged  to  look  for  Scotts 
and  Homers  at  some  future  day,  it  is  manifestly  our  duty  to  be 
recording  fleeting  traditions  and  describing  peculiar  customs,  before 
the  waves  .of  time  shall  have  swept  over  the  retreating  footsteps  of 
the  "^salvage  majy,"  and  left  us  nothing  but  lake  and  forest,  moun 
tains  and  cataracts,  out  of  which  to  make  our  poetry  and  romance. 

The  Indians  themselves  are  full  of  poetry.  Their  legends  em 
body  poetic  fancy  of  the  highest  and  most  adventurous  flight; 
their  religious  ceremonies  refer  to  things  unseen  with  a  directness 
which  shows  how  bold  and  vivid  are  their  conceptions  of  the 
imaginative.  The  war-song — the  death-song — the  song  of  victory 
—the  cradle-chant — the  lament  for  the  slain — these  are  the  over 
flowings  of  the  essential  poetry  of  their  untaught  souls.  Their 
eloquence  is  proverbially  soaring  and  figurative  ;  and  in  spite  of 
all  that  renders  gross  and  mechanical  their  ordinary  mode  of  mar 
rying  and  giving  in  marriage,  instances  are  not  rare  among  them 
of  love  as  true,  as  fiery,  and  as  fatal,  &s.that  of  the  most  exalted 
hero  of  romance.  They,  indeed, Hive  poetry^  it  should  be  ours  to 
write  it  out  for  them. 

Mrs.  Eastman's  aim  has  been  to  preserve  from  destruction  such 
legends  and  traits  of  Indian  character  as  had  cpme  to  her  knowl- 


PREFACE. 


edge  during  long  familiarity  with  the  Dahcotahs,  and  nothing  can 
be  fresher  or  more  authentic  than  her  records,  taken  down  from" 
the  very  lips  of  the  red  people  as  they  sat-  around  her  fire  and 
opened  their  hearts  to  her  kindness.  She  has  even  caught  their 
tone,  and  her  language  will  be  found  to  have  something  of  an  Os- 
sianic  simplicity  and  abruptness,  well  suited  to  the  theme.  Sym 
pathy, — feminine  and  religious, — breathes  through  these  pages,  and 
the  unaffected  desire  of  the  writer  to  awaken  a  kindly  interest  in 
the  poor  souls  who  have  so  twined  themselves  about  her  own  best 
feelings,  may  be  said  to  consecrate  the  work.  In  its  character  of 
aesthetic  material  for  another  age,  it  appeals  to  our  nationality ; 
while,  as  the  effort  of  a  reflecting  and  Christian  mind  to  call  public 
attention  to  the  needs  of  an  unhappy  race,  we  may  ask  for  it  the 
approbation  of  all  who  acknowledge  the  duty  to  "  teach  all  na 
tions." 

C.  M.  K. 
NEW  YORK,  March,  1849. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 
INTRODUCTION,      ........  i 

MOCK-PE-EN-DAG-A-WIN  ;     OR,    CHECKERED     CLOUD,    THE     MEDI 
CINE    WOMAN,      '.            .             .             .            .            .            .  '"  .       33 

RED    EARTH  ;    OR,  MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN,              ....  40 

WENONA  ;    OR,  THE   VIRGIN^    FEAST,        .             .             .             .  .55 

THE    DAHCOTAH    CONVERT,             .             .             .             .             .             .  67 

WABASHAW,           .             .             .             .             .            .             .            .  .81 

THE    DAHCOTAH    BRIDE, 92 

SHAH-CO-PEE;  THE  ORATOR  OF  THE  sioux,  .         .         .         .110 

OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM  J    THE    TRACK-MAKER,      .  -«  .  .          123 

ETA  KEAZAH  J  OR,  SULLEN  FACE,  .  .  .  .  .134 
TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN  J  THE  SPIES,  .  .  .  .  .150 
THE  MAIDEN'S  ROCK;  OR,  WENONA'S  LEAP,  ....  165 
OECHE-MONESAH ;  THE  WANDERER,  .  .  .  .  .179 
TAH-WE-CHU-KIN  J  THE  WIFE,  .  .  ...  ,y  .  .  .192 
WAH-ZEE-YAH;  ANOTHER  OF  THE  GIANT  GODS  OF  THE  DAH- 

COTAHS,  .....     $t:.-         .         .       208 

STORMS    IN   LIFE    AND   NATURE  J    OR,  UNKTAHE    AND    THE    THUN 
DER   BIRD, 212 

HAOKAH  OZAPE;  THE  DANCE  OF  THE  GIANT,        .         .         .  243 

U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPE ;    OR,  TO   DANCE   AROUND,  .  .         262 


INTRODUCTION. 


THE  materials  for  the  following  pages  were  gathered  during  a 
residence  of  seven  years  in  the  immediate  neighborhood — nay — in 
the  very  midst  of  the  once  powerful  but  now  nearly  extinct  tribe 
of  Sioux  or  Dahcotah  Indians. 

Fort  Snelling  is  situated  seven  miles  below  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Mississippi  and  St.  Peter's 
rivers — built  in  1819,  and  named  after  the  gallant  Colonel  Snelling, 
of  the  army,  by  whom  the  work  was  erected.  It  is  constructed 
of  stone  ;  is  one  of  the  strongest  Indian  forts  in  the  United  States ; 
and  being  placed  on  a  commanding  bluff,  has  somewhat  the  ap 
pearance  of  an  old  German  castle,  or  one  of  the  strongholds  on  the 
Rhine. 

The  then  recent  removal  of  the  Winnebagoes  was  rendered 
troublesome  by  the  interference  of  Wabashaw,  the  Sioux  chief, 
whose  village  is  on  the  Mississippi,  1800  miles  from  its  mouth. 
The  father  of  Wabashaw  was  a  noted  Indian  ;  and  during  the  past 
summer,  the  son  has  given  some  indications  that  he  inherits  the 
father's  talents  and  courage.  When  the  Winnebagoes  arrived  at 
Wabashaw's  prairie,  the  chief  induced  them  not  to  continue  their 
journey  of  removal ;  offered  them  land  to  settle  upon  near  him, 
and  told  them  it  was  not  really  the  wish  of  their  Great  Father, 
that  they  should  remove.  His  bribes  and  eloquence  induced  the 
Winnebagoes  to  refuse  to  proceed  ;  although  there  was  a  company 
of  volunteer  dragoons  and  infantry  with  them.  This  delay  occa 
sioning  much  expense  and  trouble,  the  government  agents  applied 

1 


INTRODUCTION. 


for  assistance  to  the  command  at  Fort  Snelling.  There  was  but 
one  company  there ;  and  the  commanding  officer,  with  twenty 
men  and  some  friendly  Sioux,  went  down  to  assist  the  agent. 

There  was  an  Indian  council  held  on  the  occasion.  The  Sioux 
who  went  from  Fort  Snelling  promised  to  speak  in  favor  of  the 
removal.  During  the  council,  however,  not  one  of  them  said  a 
word — for  which  they  afterwards  gave  a  satisfactory  reason. 
Wabashaw,  though  a  young  man,  had  such  influence  over  his 
band,  that  his  orders  invariably  received  implicit  obedience.  When 
the  council  commenced,  Wabashaw  had  placed  a  young  warrior 
behind  each  of  the  friendly  Sioux  who  he  knew  would  speak  in 
favor  of  the  removal,  with  orders  to  shoot  down  the  first  one  who 
rose  for  that  purpose.  This  stratagem  may  be  considered  a 
characteristic  specimen  of  the  temper  and  habits  of  the  Sioux 
chiefs,  whose  tribe  we  bring  before  the  reader  in  their  most  con 
spicuous  ceremonies  and  habits.  The  Winnebagoes  were  finally 
removed,  but  not  until  Wabashaw  was  taken  prisoner  and  car 
ried  to  Fort  Snelling.  Wabashaw's  pike-bearer  was  a  fine  looking 
warrior,  named  "  Many  Lightnings." 

The  village  of  "  Little  Crow,"  another  able  and  influential  Sioux 
chief,  is  situated  twenty  miles  below  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony. 
He  has  four  wives,  all  sisters,  and  the  youngest  of  them  almost  a 
child.  There  are  other  villages  of  the  tribe,  below  and  above  Fort 
Snelling. 

The  scenery  about  Fort  Snelling  is  rich  in  beauty.  The  falls 
of  St.  Anthony  are  familiar  to  travellers,  and  to  readers  of  Indian 
sketches.  Between  the  fort  and  these  falls  are  the  "  Little  Falls," 
forty  feet  in  height,  on  a  stream  that  empties  into  the  Mississippi. 
The  Indians  call  them  Mine-hah-hah,  or  "  laughing  waters."  In 
sight  of  Fort  Snelling  is  a  beautiful  hill  called  Morgan's  Bluff ;  the 
Indians  call  it  "  God's  House."  They  have  a  tradition  that  it  is 
the  residence  of  their  god  of  the  waters,  whom  they  call  Unk-ta-he. 
Nothing  can  be  more  lovely  than  the  situation  and  appearance  of 
this  hill ;  it  commands  on  every  side  a  magnificent  view,  and  dur- 


INTRODUCTION. 


ing  the  summer  it  is  carpeted  with  long  grass  and  prairie  flowers. 
But,  to  those  who  have  lived  the  last  few  years  at  Fort  Snelling, 
this  hill  presents  another  source  of  interest.  On  its  top  are  buried 
three  young  children,  who  were  models  of  health  and  beauty 
until  the  scarlet  fever  found  its  way  into  regions  hitherto  shielded 
from  its  approach.  They  lived  but  long  enough  on  earth  to  secure 
them  an  entrance  into  heaven.  Life,  which  ought  to  be  a  blessing 
to  all,  was  to  them  one  of  untold  value  ;  for  it  was  a  short  journey 
to  a  better  land — a  translation  from  the  yet  unfelt  cares  of  earth 
to  the  bright  and  endless  joys  of  heaven. 

Opposite  the  Fort  is  Pilot  Knob,  a  high  peak,  used  as  a  burial- 
place  by  the  Indians  ;  just  below  it  is  the  village  of  Mendota,  or 
the  "  Meeting  of  the  Waters." 

But  to  me,  the  greatest  objects  of  interest  and  curiosity  were  / 
the  original  owners  of  the  country,  whose  teepees  could  be  seen 
in  every  direction.  [One  could  soon  know  all  that  was  to  be  known 
about  Pilot  Knob  or^St.  Anthony's  falls ;  but  one  is  puzzled  com 
pletely  to  comprehend  the  character  of  an  Indian  man,  woman,  or 
child.! /At  one  moment,  you  see  an  Indian  chief  raise  himself  to 
his  full  height,  and  say  that  the  ground  on  which  he  stands  is 
his  own ;  at  the  next,  beg  bread  and  pork  from  an  enemy.  An 
Indian  woman  will  scornfully  refuse  to  wash  an  article  that  might 
be  needed  by  a  white  family — and  the  next  moment,  declare  that 
she  had  not  washed  her  face  in  fifteen  years  a  An  Indian  child  of 
three  years  old,  will  cling  to  its  mother  under  the  walls  of  the 
Fort,  and  then  plunge  into  the  Mississippi,  and  swim  half  way 
across,  in  hopes  of  finding  an  apple  that  has  been  thrown  in.  "We 
may  well  feel  much  curiosity  to  look  into  the  habits,  manners,  and 
motives  of  a  race  exhibiting  suck'contradictions.  • 

There  is  a  great  deal  said  of  Indian  warriors — and  justly  too  of 
the  Sioux.  They  are,  as  a  race,  tall  fine-looking  men ;  and  many 
of  those  who  have  not  been  degraded  by  association  with  the 
frontier  class  of  white  people,  nor  had  their  intellects  destroyed 
by  the  Avhite  man's  fire-water,  have  minds  of  high  order,  and  reason 


iv  INTRODUCTION. 


with  a  correctness  that  would  put  to  the  blush  the  powers  of  many 
an  educated  logician.  Yet  are  these  men  called  savages,  and 
morally  associated  with  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife.  Few 
regard  them  as  reasonable  creatures,  or  as  beings  endowed  by  their 
creator  with  souls,  that  are  here  to  be  fitted  for  the  responsibilities 
of  the  Indians  hereafter. 

Good  men  are  sending  the  Bible  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
Sermons  are  preached  in  behalf  of  fellow- creatures  who  are 
perishing  in  regions  known  only  to  us  in  name.  And  here, 
within  reach  of  comparatively  the  slightest  exertion ; .  here,  not 
many  miles  from  churches  and  schools,  and  all  the  moral  influences 
abounding  in  Christian  society  ;  here,  in  a  country  endowed  with 
every  advantage  that  God  can  bestow,  are  perishing,  body  and 
soul,  our  own  countrymen  :  perishing  too  from  disease,  starvation 
and  intemperance,  and  all  the  evils  incident  to  their  unhappy  con 
dition.  White  men,  Christian  men,  are  driving  them  back ;  root 
ing  out  their  very  names  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Ah  !  these 
men  can  seek  .the  country  of  the  Sioux  when  money  is  to  be 
gained :  but  how  few  care  for  the  sufferings  of  the  Dahcotahs ! 
how  few  would  give  a  piece  of  money,  a  prayer,  or  even  a  thought, 
towards  their  present  and  eternal  good. 

Yet  are  they  not  altogether  neglected.  Doctor  Williamson,  one 
of  the  missionaries  among  the  Sioux,  lives  near  Fort  Snelling.  He  is 
exerting  himself  to  the  utmost  to  promote  the  moral  welfare  of  the 
unhappy  people  among  whom  he  expects  to  pass  his  life.  He  has 
a  school  for  the  Indian  children,  and  many  of  them  read  well.  On 
the  Sabbath,  divine  service  is  regularly  held,  and  he  has  labored 
to  promote  the  cause  of  temperance  among  the  Sioux.  Christian 
exertion  is  unhappily  too  much  influenced  by  the  apprehension 
that  little  can  be  done  for  the  savage.  How  is  it  with  the  man  on 
hisfire-  water  mission  to  the  Indian  ?  Does  he  doubt  ?  Does  he  fail  ? 
/  As  a  great  motive  to  improve  the  moral  character  of  the  Indi 
es,  I  present  the- .condition  of  the  .women  in  their  tribes.  JA 
degraded  state  of  woman  is  universally  characteristic  of  savage 


INTRODUCTION. 


life,  as  her  elevated  influence  in  civilized  society  is  the  conspicuous 
standard  of  moral  and  social  virtue.  The  peculiar  sorrows  of  the 
Sioux  woman  commence  at  her  birth.  Even  as  a  child  she  is  de 
spised,  in  comparison  wjii^  day 
to  b.g,  a  great  warrior.  As  a  maiden,  she  is  valued  while  the  young 
man,  who  wants  her  for ja  wife,  may  have  a .doubt of  his  Haueeess. 
But  when  she  is  a ...wife, Jjjere  is  little,  sympathy  for  her  condition. 
How  soon  do  the  oppressive  storms  and  contentions  of  life  root 
out  all  that  is  kind  or  gentle  in  her  heart.  She.^must.bear-tkft 

jDi^^n^^^thejj^mjly.  Should  her  husband  wish  it,  she  must 
travel  all .  day  with  a  heavy  weight  on  her  back;  and  at  night 
wjie^Jliej:,jt^p^rliands  must  prepare  the  food  for  her  family 

jDefpre  j$he  retires^to  rest. 

Her  work  is  never  done.  She  makes  the  summer  and  the  win 
ter  house.  For  the  former  she  peels  the  bark  from  the  trees  in 
the  spring ;  for  the  latter  she  sews  the  deer-skin  together.  She 
tans  the  skins  of  which  coats,  mocassins,  and  leggins  are  to  be 
made  for  the  family  ;  she  has  to  scrape  it  and  prepare  it  while 
other  cares  are  pressing  upon  her.  When  her  child  is  born,  she 
has  no  opportunities  for  rest  or  quiet.  She  must  paddle  the 
canoe  for  her  husband — pain  and  feebleness  must  be  forgotten. 
She  is  always  hospitable.  Visit  her  in  her  teepee,  and  she  wil 
lingly  gives  you  what  you  need,  if  in  her  power ;  and  with  alacrity 
does  what  she  can  to  promote  your  comfort.  In  her  looks  there 
is  little  that  is  attractive.  Time  has  not  caused  the  wrinkles  in 
her  forehead,  nor  the  furrows  in  her  cheek.  They  are  the  traces 
of  want,  passion,  sorrows  and  tears.  Her  bent  form  was  once 
light  and  graceful.  Labor  and  privations  are  not  preservative  of 
beauty. 

Let  it  not  be  deemed  impertinent  if  I  venture  to  urge  upon 
those  who  care  for  the  wretched  wherever  their  lot  may  be  cast, 
the  immense  good  that  might  be  accomplished  among  these  tribes 
by  schools,  which  should  open  the  minds  of  the  young  to  the  light 
of  reason  and  Christianity.  Even  if  the  elder  members  are  given 


INTRODUCTION. 


up  as  hopeless,  with  the  young  there  is  always  encouragement. 
Many  a  bright  little  creature  among  the  Dahcotahs  is  as  capable 
of  receiving  instruction  as  are  the  children  of  civilization.  Why 
should  they  be  neglected  when  the  waters  of  benevolence  are 
moving  all  around  them  ? 

It  is  not  pretended  that  all  the  incidents  related  in  these  stones 
occurred  exactly  as  they  are  stated.  Most  of  them  are  entirely 
true ;  while  in  others  the  narrative  is  varied  in  order  to  show  some 
prevalent  custom,  or  to  illustrate  some  sentiment  to  which  these 
Indians  arc  devutod.  Xrhe  Sioux  arc  as  iirm  believers  in  tln-ir  re 
ligion  as  we  are  in  ours ;  and  they  are  far  more  particular  in  the 
discharge  of  what  they  conceive  to  be  the  obligations  required  by 
the  objects  of  their  faith  and  worship.  There  are  many  allusions 
to  the  belief  and  customs  of  the  Dahcotahs  that  require  explana 
tion,  f  For  this  purpose  I  have  obtained  from  the  Sioux  themselves 
the  information  required.  On  matters  of  faith  there  is  difference 
of  opinion  among  them — but  they  do  not  make  more  points  of 
difference  on  religion,  or  on  any  other  subject,  than  white  peo 
ple  do. 

The  day  of  the  Dahcotah  is  far  spent ;  to  quote  the  language 
of  a  Chippeway  chief,  "The  Indian's  glory  is  passing  away." 
They  seem  to  be  almost  a  God-forgotten  race.  Some  few  have 
given  the  missionary  reason  to  hope  that  they  have  been  made 
subjects  of  Christian  faith — and  the  light,  that  has  as  yet  broken 
in  faint  rays  upon  their  darkness,  may  increase.  He  who  takes 
account  of  the  falling  of  a  sparrow,  will  not  altogether  cast  away 
so  large  a  portion  of  his  creatures.  All  Christian  minds  will  wish 
success  to  the  Indian  missionary ;  and  assuredly  God  will  be  true 
to  his  mercy,  where  man  is  found  true  to  his  duty. 

The  first  impression  created  by  the  Sioux  was  the  common  one — 
fear.  In  their  looks  they  were  so  different  from  the  Indians  I  had 
occasionally  seen.  There  was  nothing  in  their  aspect  to  indicate 
the  success  of  efforts  made  to  civilize  them.  Their  tall,  unbending 
forms,  their  savage  hauteur,  the  piercing  black  eye,  the  quiet  in- 


INTRODUCTION. 


difference  of  manner,  the  slow,  stealthy  step — how  different  were 
they  from  the  eastern  Indians,  whose  associations  with  the  white 
people  seem  to  have  deprived  them  of  all  native  dignity  of  bearing 
and  of  character.  The  yells  heard  outside  the  high  wall  of  the 
fort  at  first  filled  me  with  alarm  ;  but  I  soon  became  accustomed 
to  them,  and  to  all  other  occasional  Indian  excitements,  that  served 
to  vary  the  monotony  of  garrison  life.  Before  I  felt  much  interest 
in  the  Sioux,  they  seemed~toTiave  great  regard  for  me.  My  hus 
band,  before  his  marriage,  had  been  stationed  at  Fort  Snelling  and 
at  Prairie  du  Chien.  He  was  fond  of  hunting  and  roaming  about 
the  prairies ;  and  left  many  friends  among  the  Indians  when  he 
obeyed  the  order  to  return  to  an  eastern  station.  On  going  back 
to  the  Indian  country,  he  met  with  a  warm  welcome  from  his  old 
acquaintances,  who  were  easier  to  shake  hands  with  "  Eastman's 
squaw." 

The  old  men  laid  their  bony  hands  upon  the  heads  of  my  little 
boys,  admired  their  light  hair,  said  their  skins  were  very  white ; 
and,  although  I  could  not  then  understand  their  language,  they 
told  me  many  things,  accompanied  with  earnest  gesticulation. 
They  brought  their  wives  and  young  children  to  see  me.  I  had 
been  told  that  Indian  women  gossiped  and  stole ;  that  they  were 
filthy  and  troublesome.  Yet  I  could  notfUespise  them :  they 
were  wives  and  mothers — God  had  implanted  the  same  feelings  in 
their  hearts  as  in  mine. 

Some  Indians  visited  us  every  day,  and  we  frequently  saw  them 
at  their  villages.  Captain  E.  spoke  their  language  well ;  and  with 
out  taking  any  pains  to  acquire  it,  I  soon  understood  it  so  as  to 
talk  with  them.  The  sufferings  of  the  women  and  children,  espe 
cially  during  the  winter  season,  appealed  to  my  heart.  Their 
humility  in  asking  for  assistance  contrasted  strongly  with  the 
pompous  begging  of  the  men.  Late  in  a  winter's  afternoon,  We- 
nona,  wife  of  a  chief  named  the  "Star,"  came  to  my  room.  Un 
doing  a  bundle  that  she  took  from  under  her  blanket,  she  ap 
proached  and  showed  it  to  me.  It  was  an  infant  three  days  old, 


viii  INTRODUCTION. 


closely  strapped  to  an  Indian  cradle.  The  wretched  babe  was 
shrivelled  and  already  looking  old  from  hunger.  She  warmed  it 
by  the  fire,  attempting  to  still  its  feeble  cries. 

"  Do  you  nurse  your  baby  well,  Wenona  ?"  I  asked ;  "  it  looks 
so  thin  and  small." 

"  How  can  I,"  was  the  reply,  "  when  I  have  not  eaten  since  ifc 
was  born?" 

Frequently  we  have  heard  of  whole  families  perishing  during 
severely  cold  weather.  The  father  absent  on  a  winter's  hunt,  the 
mother  could  not  leave  her  children  to  apply  to  the  fort  for  assist 
ance,  even  had  she  strength  left  to  reach  there.  The  frozen 
bodies  would  be  found  in  the  lodges.  (  The  improvident  character 
of  the  Indian  is  well  known.  Their  annuities  are  soon  spent ; 
supplies  received  from  government  are  used  in  feasting ;  and  no 
TTTOYJ"^  fa  Tngr^  jfct^rotifrj^"krf^*M^  fl.ad~&&£££& 

Though  they  receive  frequent  assistance  from  the  public  at  the 
fort,  the  wants  of  all  cannot  be  supplied.  The  captain  of  the  post 
was  generous  towards  them,  as  was  always  my  friend  Mrs.  F., 
whom  they  highly  esteemed.  Yet  some  hearts  are  closed  against 
appeals  daily  made  to  their  humanity.  An  Indian  woman  may 
suffer  from  hunger  or  sickness,  because  her  looks  are  repulsive  and 
her  garments  unwashed :  some  will  say  they  can  bear  the  want 
of  warm  clothing,  because  they  have  been  used  to  privation. 

The  women  of  the  Sioux  exhibit  many  striking  peculiarities  of 
character — the  love  of  the  marvellous,  and  a  profound  veneration 
for  any  and  every  thing  connected  with  their  religious  faith  ;  a  wil 
lingness  to  labor  and  to  learn ;  patience  in  submitting  to  insults 
from  servants  who  consider  them  intruders  in  families  ;  the._-£Kideat- 
recognitlon  of  the  fact  that  they  are  a  doomed  race,  and  must  sub 
mit  to  indignities  that  they  dare  not  resent.  They  seem,  too,  so  un 
used  to  sympathy,  often  comparing  their  lives  of  suffering  and  hard 
ship  with  the  ease  and  comfort  enjoyed  by  the  white  women,  it  must 
be  a  hard  heart,  that  could  withhold  sympathy  from  such  poor 
creatures.  \  Their  home  was  mine — and  such  a  home  1  The  very 


INTRODUCTION. 


sunsets,  more  bright  and  glorious  than  I  had  ever  seen,  seemed 
to  love  to  linger  over  the  scenes  amongst  which  we  lived ;  the 
high  bluffs  of  the  "  father  of  many  waters"  and  the  quiet  shores 
of  the  "  Mine  sota  ;"  the  fairy  rings  on  the  prairie,  and  the  "  spirit 
lakes"  that  reposed  beside  them;  the  bold  peak,  Pilot  Knob,  on 
whose  top  the  Indians  bury  their  dead,  with  the  small  hills  rising 
gradually  around  it — all  were  dear  to  the  Sioux  and  to  me.     They 
believed  that  the  rocks,  and  hills,  and  waters  were  peopled  with 
fairies  and  spirits,  whose  power  and  anger  they  had  ever  been    , 
taught  to  fear.     I  knew  that  God,  whose  presence  fills  all  nature,    f 
was  there.     In  fancy  they  beheld  their  deities  in  the  blackened.; 
cloud  and  fearful  storm ;  I  saw  mine  in  the  brightness  of  nature, 
the  type  of  the  unchanging  light  of  Heaven. 

They  evinced  the  warmest  gratitude  to  any  who  had  ever 
displayed  kind  feelings  towards  them.  When  our  little  children 
were  ill  with  scarlet  fever,  how  grieved  they  were  to  witness  their 
sufferings  ;  especially  as  we  watched  Virginia,  waiting,  as  we  ex 
pected,  to  receive  her  parting  breath.  How  strongly  they  were 
contrasted  !  that  fair  child,  unconscious  even  of  the  presence  of 
the  many  kind  friends  who  had  watched  and  wept  beside  her — 
and  the  aged  Sioux  women,  who  had  crept  noiselessly  into  the 
chamber.  I  remember  them  well,  as  they  leaned  over  the  foot  of 
the  bed ;  their  expressive  and  subdued  countenances  full  of  sor 
row.  That  small  white  hand,  that  lay  so  powerless,  had  ever 
been  outstretched  to  welcome  them  when  they  came  weary  and 
hungry. 

They  told  me  afterwards,  that  "  much  water  fell  from  their  eyes 
day  and  night,  while  they  thought  she  would  die  ;"  that  the  ser 
vants  made  them  leave  the  sick  room,  and  then  turned  them  out  of 
the  house — but  that  they  would  not  go  home,  waiting  outside  to 
hear  of  her. 

During  her  convalescence,  I  found  that  they  could  "rejoice 
with  those  that  rejoice"  as  well  as  "  weep  with  those  that  wept." 
The  fearful  disease  was  abating  in  our  family,  and  "  Old  Harper," 

1* 


INTRODUCTION. 


as  she  is  called  in  the  Fort,  offered  to  sit  up  and  attend  to  the  fire. 
We  allowed  her  to  do  so,  for  the  many  who  had  so  kindly  assisted 
us  were  exhausted  with  fatigue.  Joy  had  taken  from  me  all  in 
clination  to  sleep,  and  I  lay  down  near  my  little  girl,  watching  the 
old  Sioux  woman.  She  seemed  to  be  reviewing  the  history  of  her 
life,  so  intently  did  she  gaze  at  the  bright  coals  on  the  hearth. 
Many  strange  thoughts  apparently  engaged  her.  She  was,  of  her 
own  accord,  an  inmate  of  the  white  man's  house,  waiting  to  do 
good  to  his  sick  child.  She  had  wept  bitterly  for  days,  lest  the 
child  should  be  lost  to  her — and  now  she  was  full  of  happiness,  at 
the  prospect  of  her  recovery. 

How  shall  we  reconcile  this  with  the  fact  that  Harper,  or 
Harpstinah,  was  one  of  the  Sioux  women,  who  wore,  as  long  as 
she  could  endure  it,  a  necklace  made  of  the  hands  and  feet  of 
Chippeway  children  ?  Here,  in  the  silence  of  night,  she  turned 
often  towards  the  bed,  when  the  restless  sleep  of  the  child  broke 
in  on  her  meditation.  She  fancied  I  slept,  but  my  mind  was  busy 
too.  I  was  far  away  from  the  home  of  my  childhood,  and  a  Sioux 
woman,  with  her  knife  in  her  belt,  was  assisting  me  in  the  care  of 
my  only  daughter.  She  thought  Dr.  T.  was  a  "  wonderful  med 
icine  man"  to  cure  her;  in  which  opinion  we  all  cordially  coin 
cided. 

I  always  listened  with  pleasure  to  the  women,  when  allusion 
was  made  to  their  religion ;  but  when  they  spoke  of  their  tradi 
tion,  I  felt  as  a  miser  would,  had  he  discovered  a  mine  of  gold. 
I  had  read  the  legends  of  the  Maiden's  Rock,  and  of  St.  Anthony's 
Falls.  I  asked  Checkered  Cloud  to  tell  them  to  me.  She  did  so 
— and  how  differently  they  were  told !  With  my  knowledge  of 
the  language,  and  the  aid  of  my  kind  and  excellent  friend  Mr. 
Prescott,  all  the  dark  passages  in  her  narration  were  made 
clear.  I  thought  the  Indian  tone  of  feeling  was  not  rightly  appre 
ciated — their  customs  not  clearly  stated,  perhaps  not  fairly  esti 
mated.  The  red  man,  considered  generally  as  a  creature  to  be 
carried  about  and  exhibited  for  money,  was,  in  very  truth,  a  being 


INTRODUCTION. 


Immortally  endowed,  though  under  a  dispensation  obscure  to  the 
more  highly-favored  white  race.  As  they  affirmed  a  belief  in  the 
traditions  of  their  tribe,  with  what  strength  and  beauty  of  diction 
they  clothed  their  thoughts — how  energetic  in  gesture  !  Alas  I 
for  the  people  who  had  no  higher  creed,  no  surer  trust,  for  this 
and  for  another  world. 

However  they  may  have  been  improved,  no  one  could  have  had 
better  opportunities  than  I,  to  acquire  all  information  of  interest 
respecting  these  Indians.  I  lived  among  them  seven  years.  The 
chiefs  from  far  and  near  were  constantly  visiting  the  Fort,  and 
were  always  at  our  house.  Not  a  sentiment  is  in  the  Legends  that 
1  did  not  hear  from  the  lips  of  the  Indian  man  or  woman.  They 
looked  on  my  husband  as  their  friend,  and  talked  to  him  freely 
on  all  subjects,  whether  of  religion,  customs,  or  grievances.  They 
were  frequently  told  that  I  was  writing  about  them,  that  every 
body  might  know  what  great  warriors  they  were. 

The  men  were  sometimes  astonished  at  the  boldness  with  which 
I  reproved  them,  though  it  raised  me  much  in  their  estimation.  I 
remember  taking  Bad  Hail,  one  of  their  chiefs,  to  task,  frequently ; 
and  on  one  occasion  he  told  me,  by  way  of  showing  his  gratitude 
for  the  interest  I  took  in  his  character,  that  he  had  three  wives, 
all  of  whom  he  would  give  up  if  I  would  "  leave  Eastman,  and 
come  and  live  with  him."  I  received  his  proposition,  however,  with 
Indian  indifference,  merely  replying  that  I  did  not  fancy  having 
my  head  split  open  every  few  days  with  a  stick  of  wood.  He 
laughed  heartily,  after  his  fashion,  conscious  that  the  cap  fitted,  for 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  expending  all  his  surplus  bad  temper  upon 
his  wives.  ^I_have  sometimes  thought,  that  if,  when  a  warrior,  be 
he  chief  or  commoner,  throws  a  stick  of  wood  at  his  wife's  head,^,  n  .^ 
she  were  to  cast  it  back  at  his,  he  might,  perhaps,  be  taught  better 

II  ~^"JB •••!•_•  I  •»•• _j.r---ir-     -    TLTT^I .^— ^^^••••••A""^**"'"^""-''^ 

behaviour.]  But  I  never  dared  to  instil  such  insubordinate  notions 
into  the  heads  of  my  Sioux  female  friends,  lest  some  ultra  "  brave," 
in  a  desperate  rage,  might  substitute  the  tomahawk  for  the  log. 
These  opinions,  too,  might  have  made  me  unpopular  with  Sioux 


INTRODUCTION. 


and  Turks — and,  perchance,  with  some  of  my  more  enlightened 
friends,  who  are  self-constituted  "  lords  of  creation." 

I  noticed  that  Indians,  like  white  people,  instead  of  confessing 
and  forsaking  their  sins,  were  apt  to  excuse  themselves  by  telling 
how  much  worse  their  neighbors  were.  When  told  how  wicked 
it  was  to  have  more  than  one  wife,  they  defended  themselves  by 
declaring  that  the  Winnebagoes  had  twice  or  thrice  as  many  as 
the  Sioux.  The  attempt  to  make  one  right  of  two  wrongs  seems 
to  be  instinctive. 

I  wished  to  learn  correctly  the  Indian  songs  which  they  sing  in 
celebrating  their  dances.  I  sent  for  a  chief,  Little  Hill,  who  is  a 
famous  singer,  but  with  little  perseverance  as  a  teacher  of  music. 
He  soon  lost  all  patience  with  me,  refused  to  continue  the  lesson, 
declaring  that  he  could  never  make  me  sing  like  a  Sioux  squaw. 
The  low,  guttural  notes  created  the  difficulty.  He  very  quickly 
became  tired  of  mjrjMano  Jind  singing.  The  chiefs  and  medicine 
men  always  answered  my  questions  readily,  respecting  their  laws 
and  religion  ;  but,  to  insure  good  humor,  they  must  first  have 
something  to  eat.  All  the  scraps  of  food  collected  in  the  kitchen ; 
cold  beef,  cold  buckwheat  cakes  ;  nothing  went  amiss,  especially 
as  to  quantity.  Pork  is  their  delight — apples  they  are  particularly 
fond  of — and,  in  the  absence  of  fire-water,  molasses  and  water  is  a 
most  acceptable  beverage.  Then  they  had  to  smoke  and  nod  a 
little  before  the  fire — and  by  and  by  I  heard  all  about  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  Hookah  the  Giant,  and  the  powers  of  the  Sacred  Med 
icine.  All  that  is  said  in  this  book  of  their  religion,  laws,  and  sen 
timents,  I  learned  from  themselves,  and  most  of  the  incidents 
occurred  precisely  as  they  are  represented.  Some  few  have  been 
varied,  but  only  where  it  might  happily  illustrate  a  peculiar  cus 
tom  or  opinion. 

Their  medicine  men,  priests,  and  jugglers,  are  proverbially  the 
greatest  scamps  of  the  tribe.  My  dear  father  must  forgive  me  for 
reflecting  so  harshly  on  his  brother  practitioners,  and  be  reconciled 
when  he  hears  that  they  belong  to  the  corps  of  quacks ;  for  they 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

doubt  their  own  poAvers,  and  are  constantly  imposing  on  the  cre 
dulity  of  others.  On  returning  from  an  evening  walk,  we  met, 
near  the  fort,  a  notable  procession.  First  came  an  old  medicine 
man,  whose  Indian  name  I  cannot  recall,  but  the  children  of  the 
garrison  called  him  "  Old  Sneak" — a  most  appropriate  appellation, 
for  he  always  looked  as  if  he  had  just  committed  murder,  and  was 
afraid  of  being  found  out.  On  this  occasion  he  looked  particularly 
in  character.  What  a  representative  of  the  learned  faculty ! 
After  him,  in  Indian  file,  came  his  wife  and  children,  a  most  ca 
daverous  looking  set.  To  use  a  western  phrase,  they  all  looked 
as  if  they  were  "just  dug  up."  Their  appearance  was  accounted 
for  in  the  following  ludicrous  manner — the  story  is  doubtless  sub 
stantially  true.  There  was  a  quantity  of  refuse  medicine  that  had 
been  collecting  in  the  hospital  at  the  fort,  and  Old  Sneak  hap 
pened  to  be  present  at  a  general  clearing  out.  The  medicine  was 
given  to  him  ;  and  away  he  went  to  his  home,  hugging  it  up  close 
to  him  like  a  veritable  old  miser.  It  was  too  precious  to  be  shared 
with  his  neighbors ;  the  medicine  of  the  white  man  was  "  wahkun" 
(wonderful) — and,  carrying  out  the  principle  that  the  more  of  a 
good  thing  the  better,  he,  with  his  wife  and  children,  took  it  all ! 
I  felt  assured  that  the  infant  strapped  to  its  mother's  back  was 
dying  at  that  time. 

The  "dog  dance"  is  held  by  the  Sioux  in  great  reverence;  and 
the  first  time  it  has  been  celebrated  near  the  fort  for  many  years, 
was  about  five  summers  asro. 

O 

The  Chippeways,  with  their  chief,  "  Hole  in  the  Day,"  were  down 
on  a  visit,  and  the  prairie  outside  the  fort  was  covered  with  In 
dians  of  both  tribes.  The  Chippeways  sat  on  the  grass  at  a  little 
distance,  watching  the  Sioux  as  they  danced,  "  to  show  how  brave 
they  were,  and  how  they  could  eat  the  hearts  of  their  enemies." 
Most  of  the  officers  and  ladies  of  the  garrison  were  assembled  on 
the  hospital  gallery  to  witness  the  dance. 

The  Sioux  warriors  formed  a  circle ;  in  the  centre  was  a  pole 
fastened  in  the  ground.  One  of  the  Indians  killed  a  dog,  and, 


INTRODUCTION. 


taking  out  the  heart  and  liver,  held  them  for  a  few  moments  in  a 
bucket  of  cold  water,  and  then  hung  them  to  the  pole.  After 
awhile,  one  of  the  warriors  advanced  towards  it,  barking.  His  at 
titude  was  irresistibly  droll ;  he  tried  to  make  himself  look  as  much 
as  possible  like  a  dog,  and  I  thought  he  succeeded  to  admiration. 
He  retreated,  and  another  warrior  advanced  with  a  different  sort 
of  bark;  more  joined  in,  until  there  was  a  chorus  of  barking. 
Next,  one  becomes  very  courageous,  jumps  and  barks  towards  the 
pole,  biting  off  a  piece  of  the  flesh ;  another  follows  and  does  the 
same  feat.  One  after  another  they  all  bark  and  bite.  "  Let  dogs 
delight"  would  have  been  an  appropriate  melody  for  the  occasion. 
They  had  to  hold  their  heads  back  to  swallow  the  morQeau — it 
was  evidently  hard  work.  Several  dogs  were  killed  in  succession, 
when,  seeing  some  of  the  warriors  looking  pale  and  deadly  sick, 
Captain  E.  determined  to  try  how  many  of  their  enemies'  hearts 
they  could  dispose  of.  He  went  down  among  the  Indians  and 
purchased  another  dog.  They  could  not  refuse  to  eat  the  heart. 
It  made  even  the  bravest  men  sick  to  swallow  the  last  mouthful— 
they  were  pale  as  death.  I  saw  the  last  of  it,  and  although  John 
Gilpin's  ride  might  be  a  desirable  sight,  yet  when  the  Sioux  cele 
brate  another  dog  feast,  "  may  I  not  be  there  to  see." 

Our  intercourse  with  the  Sioux  was  greatly  facilitated,  and  our 
influence  over  them  much  increased,  by  the  success  attending  my 
hu_sbaiid]s_efforts  to  paint  their  .portraits,  They  thought  it  super 
natural  (wahkun)  to  be  represented  on  canvas.  Some  were  pre 
judiced  against  sitting,  others  esteemed  it  a  great  compliment  to 
be  asked,  but  all  expected  to  be  paid  for  it.  And  if  anything  were 
wanting  to  complete  our  opportunities  for  gaining  all  information 
that  was  of  interest,  we  found  it  in  the  daguerreotype.  Captain 
E.,  knowing  they  were  about  to  celebrate  a  feast  he  wished  to 
paint  in  group,  took  his  apparatus  out,  and,  when  they  least  ex 
pected  it,  transferred  the  group  to  his  plate.  The  awe,  consterna 
tion,  astonishment  and  admiration,  surpassed  description.  "  Ho ! 
Eastman  is  all  wahkun  !" 


INTRODUCTION. 


'"The  Indians  are  fond  of  boasting  and  communicating  their  ex 
ploits  and  usages  to  those  who  have  their  confidence/   While  my    —> 
husband  has  delineated  their  features  with  the  pencil,  I  have  oc 
cupied  pleasantly  many  an  hour  in  learning  from  them  how  to      / 
represent  accurately  the  feelings  and  features  of  their  hearts — fee-     / 
ble  though  my  pen  be.     We  never  failed  to  gain  a  point  by  pro-    j 
viding  a  good  breakfast  or  dinner. 

With  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pond  and  Dr.  Williamson,  both  missionaries 
among  the  Sioux,  I  had  many  a  pleasant  interview  and  talk  about 
the  tribe.  They  kindly  afforded  me  every  assistance — and  as  they 
are  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  language  of  the  Sioux,  and  have 
studied  their  religion  with  the  view  to  introduce  the  only  true  one, 
I  could  not  have  applied  to  more  enlightened  sources,  or  better 
authority. 

The  day  we  left  Fort  Snelling,  I  received  from  Mr.  Pond  the 
particulars  of  the  fate  of  the  Sioux  woman  who  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Chippeways,  and  who  is  represented  in  the  legend  called 
The  Wife.  Soon  after  her  return  to  her  husband,  he  was  killed  ~~1 
by  the  Chippeways  ;  and  the  difficulty  was  settled  by  the  Chip 
peways  paying  to  the  Sioux  what  was  considered  the  value  of  | 
the  murdered  man,  in  goods,  such  as  calico,  tobacco,  &c.  !  After 
his  death,  the  widow  married  a  Sioux,  named  "  Scarlet  Face." 
They  lived  harmoniously  for  a  while — but  soon  difficulties  arose, 
and  Scarlet  Face,  in  a  fit  of  savage  rage,  beat  her  to  death.  A 
most  unromantic  conclusion  to  her  eventful  life.  ] 

How  vivid  is  our  recollection  of  the  grief  the  Sioux  showed  at 
parting  with  us.  For  although,  at  the  time,  it  added  to  trte  pain 
naturally  felt  at  leaving  a  place  which  had  so  long  been  our  home ; 
yet  the  sincere  affection  they  evinced  towards  us  and  our  children 
was  most  gratifying.  They  wished  us  to  remember  them,  when 
far  away,  with  kindness.  The  farewell  of  my  friend  Checkered 
Cloud  can  never  be  forgotten.  She  was  my  constant  visitor  for 
years  ;  and,  although  a  poor  and  despised  Sioux  woman,  I  learned 
to  look  upon  her  with  respect  and  regard.  Nor  does  my  interest 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 


in  her  and  her  nation  cease,  because,  in  the  chances  of  life,  we 
may  never  meet  again.  It  will  still  be  my  endeavor  to  depict  all 
the  customs,  feasts  and  ceremonies  of  the  Sioux,  before  it  be  too 
late.  The  account  of  them  may  be  interesting,  when  the  people 
who  so  long  believed  in  them  will  be  no  more. 

We  can  see  they  are  passing  away,  but  who  can  decide  the  in 
teresting  question  of  their  origin  ?  They  told  me  that  their  nation 
had  always  lived  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi — that  their  wise 
men  had  asserted  this  for  ages  past.  Some  who  have  lived  among 
them,  think  they  crossed  over  from  Persia  in  ships — and  that  they 
once  possessed  the  knowledge  of  building  large  vessels,  though 
they  have  now  entirely  lost  it.  This  idea  bears  too  little  proba 
bility  to  command  any  confidence.  The  most  general  opinion  is 
the  often  told  one,  that  they  are  a  remnant  of  God's  ancient  and 
chosen  people.  Be  this  as  it  may,  they  are  "  as  the  setting  sun, 
or  as  the  autumn  leaves  trampled  upon  by  powerful  riders." 
£~  They  are  receding  rapidly,  and  with  feeble  resistance,  before  the 
giant  strides  of  civilization.  The  hunting  grounds  of  a  few  sav 
ages  will  soon  become  the  haunts  of  densely  peopled,  civilized 
settlements.  We  should  be  better  reconciled  to  this  manifest 
destiny  of  the  aborigines,  if  the  inroads  of  civilization  woro  worthv 
ofit;  if  the  last  .years  of  these,  in  some  respects,  noble  people, 
were  lit  up  with  the  hope-inspiring  rays  of  Christianity.  We  are 
not  to  judge  the  Heathen ;  yet  universal  evidence  gives""the  mel 
ancholy  fact,  that  the  light  of  nature  does  not  lead  the  soul  to 
God  :  and  without  judging  of  their  destiny,  we  are  bound  to  en 
lighten  their  minds.  We  know  the  great  Being  of  whom  they 
are  ignorant ;  and  well  will  it  be  for  them  and  for  us,  in  a  day 
that  awaits  us  all,  if  yet,  though  late,  sadly  late — yet  not  too  late, 
we  so  give  countenance  and  aid  to  the  missionary,  that  the  light 
of  revealed  truth  may  cheer  the  remaining  period  of  their  national 
and  individual  existence. 

Will  it  be  said  that  I  am  regarding,  with  partial  eye  and  senti 
mental  romance,  but  one  side  of  the  Sioux  character  ?     Have  they 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 


no  faults,  as  a  people  and  individually  ? 
that  goes  far  to  answer  the  question.  •'Terhaps  the  best  answer  is,""] 
the  women  have  faults  enough,  and  the  men  twice  as  many  as  the     1 
women/  But  if  to  be  a  savage  is  to  be  cruel,  vindictive,  ferocious — 
dare  we  say  that  to  be  a  civilized  man  necessarily  implies  free 
dom  from  these  traits  ? 

Want  of  truth,  and  habitual  dishonesty  in  little  things,  are  prev 
alent  traits  among  the  Sioux.     Most  of  them  will  take  a  kitchen   I 
spoon  or  fork,  if  they  have  a  chance — and  they  think  it  fair  thus  I 
to  return  the  peculations  of  the  whites.     They  probably  have  an-' 
idea  of  making  up  for  the  low  price  at  which  their  lands  have  been 
valued,  by  maintaining  a  constant  system  of  petty  thefts — or  per 
haps  they  consider  kitchen  utensils  as  curiosities,  just  as  the  whites   ; 
do  their  mocassins  and  necklaces  of  bear's  claws.     Yes — it  must  be 
confessed,  however  unsentimental,  they  almost  all  steal. 
iTThe  men  think  it  undignified  for  them  to  steal,  so  they  send 
their  wives  thus  unlawfully  to  procure  what  they  want — and  wo 
be  to  them  if  they  are  found  out.     The  husband  would  shame  and 
beat  his  wife  for  doing  what  he  certainly  would  have  beaten  her 
for  refusing  to  do^  As  regards  the  honesty  of  the  men,  I  give  you 
the  opinion  of  the  husband  of  Checkered  Cloud,  who  was  an  ex 
cellent  Indian.     "  Every  Sioux;"  said  he,  "  will  steal  if  he  need, 
and   there  be  a  chance.     The  best  Indian  that  ever  lived,  has 
stolen.     I  myself  once  stole  some  powder." 

I  have  thus,  perhaps  tediously,  endeavored  to  show,  that  what 
is  said  in  this  work  has  been  learned  by  intimate  association,  and 
that  for  years,  with  the  Indian.  This  association  has  continued 
under  influences  that  secured  unreservedly  their  confidence,  friend 
ship — and  I  may  say  truly,  in  many  instances — their  affection. 
If  the  perusal  of  the  Legends  give  pleasure  to  my  friends — how 
happy  am  I !  To  do  more  than  this  I  hardly  dare  hope. 

M.  H.  E. 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS 

ON 

THE    CUSTOMS   OF   THE    DAHCOTAHS 


I. 

SIOUX  CEREMONIES,  SCALP  DANCE,  &c. 

THE  Sioux  occupy  a  country  from  the  Mississippi  river  to  some 
point  west  of  the  Missouri,  and  from  the  Chippewa  tribe  on  the 
north,  to  the  Winnebago  on  the  south ;  the  whole  extent  being 
about  nine  hundred  miles  long  by  four  hundred  in  breadth. 

Dahcotah  is  the  proper  name  of  this  once  powerful  tribe  of  In 
dians.  The  term  Sioux  is  not  recognized,  except  among  those  who 
live  near  the  whites.  It  is  said  to  have  been  given  by  the  old 
French  traders,  that  the  Dahcotahs  might  not  know  when  they 
were  the  subjects  of  conversation.  The  exact  meaning  of  the  word 
has  never  been  ascertained. 

Dahcotah  means  a  confederacy.  A  number  of  bands  live  near 
each  other  on  terms  of  friendship,  their  customs  and  laws  being 
the  same.  They  mean  by  the  word  Dahcotah  what  we  mean  by 
the  confederacy  of  states  in  our  union.  The  tribe  is  divided  into 
a  number  of  bands,  which  are  subdivided  into  villages  ;  eveiy  vil 
lage  being  governed  by  its  own  chief,  f  The  honor  of  being  chief 
is  hereditary,  though  for  cause  a  chief  may  be  deposed  and  another 
substituted ;  and  the  influence  the  chief  possesses  depends  much 
more  upon  his  talents  and  capacity  to  govern,  than  upon  mere  he 
reditary  descent.  To  every  village  there  is  also  a  ivar-chief,  and 
as  to  these  are  ascribed  supernatural  powers,  their  influence  is  un- 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 


bounded.     Leading  every  military  excursion,  the  war-chief's  com 
mand  is  absolute  with  his  party,  r 

/There  are  many  clans  among  the  Sioux,  and  these  are  distin 
guished  from  each  other  by  the  different  kinds  of  medicine  they 
use.  Each  clan  takes  a  root  for  its  medicine,  known  only  to  those 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  the  clan.  The  name  of  this  root 
must  be  kept  a  secret. /Many  of  these  roots  are  entirely  destitute 
of  medicinal  power.  The  clans  are  governed  by  a  sort  of  freema 
sonry  system.  A  Dahcotah  woulcT  die  rather  than  divulge  the 

•«  ,,-•-*  .I  ,».,„.. i ™^***i«»»  . 

secret  of  his  clan.  /The  clans  keep  up  almost  a  perpetual  warfare 
with  each  other./  Each  one  supposes  the  other  to  be  possessed 
of  supernatural  powers,  by  which  they  can  cause  the  death  of  any 
individual,  though  he  may  live  at  a  great  distance.  This  belief  is 
j  the  cause  of  a  great  deal  of  bloodshed.  When  a  Dahcotah  dies,  it 
is  attributed  to  some  one  of  another  clan,  and  revenge  is  sought 
by  the  relatives  of  the  deceased.  All  their  supposed  supernatural 
powers  are  invokec^  to  destroy  the  murderer.  They  first  try  the 
powers  of  their  sacred  medicine,  imagining  they  can  cast  a  fatal 
spell  on  the  offender ;  if  this  fail,  they  have  recoup  to  more  de 
structive  weapons,  and  the  axe,  knife  or  gun  may  be  fatally  used. 
After  the  supposed  murderer  is  killed,  his  relations  retaliate,  tmd 
thus  successive  feuds  become  perpetual. 

-f'The  Dahcotahs,  though  a  reckless,  are  a  generous  people,  usu 
ally  kind  and  affectionate  to  their  aged,  though  instances  to  the  con 
trary  frequently  occur.|  Among  the  E-yanktons,  there  was  a  man 
so  feeble  and  decrepit  from  age  as  to  be  totally  unable  to  take 
care  of  himself ;  not  being  able  to  walk,  he  occasioned  great  trou 
ble.  When  the  band  went  out  hunting,  he  entreated  the  young 
men  to  drag  him  along,  that  he  might  not  fall  a  prey  to  the  Chip- 
peways,  or  to  a  fate  equally  dreaded,  cold  and  starvation.  For  a 
time  they  seemed  to  pity  him,  and  there  were  always  those  among 
the  hunting  party  who  were  willing  to  render  him  assistance.  At 
last  he  fell  to  the  charge  of  some  young  men,  who,  wearied  with 
carrying  him  from  place  to  place,  told  him  they  would  leave  him, 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 


but  he  need  not  die  a  lingering  death.  They  gave  him  a  gun,  and 
placed  him  on  the  ground  to  be  shot  at,  telling  him  to  try  and  kill 
one  of  the  young  warriors  who  were  to  fire  at  him  ;  and  thus  he 
would  have  so  much  more  honor  to  carry  with  him  to  the  land  of 
spirits.  He  knew  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  defend  himself.  In 
a  few  moments  he  received  his  death-wound,  and  was  no  longer  a 
burden  to  himself  or  to  others. 

/The^Sioux  have  ajiuDjlifif  .  of  -superstitious  motions,  -which  par 
ticularly  influence  the  women.  They  are  slavishly  fearful  of  the 
spirits  of  the  dead,  and  a  thousand  other  fancies.  Priests  and  jug 
glers  are  venerated  from  their  supposed  supernatural  powers/ 

Little  is  generally  known  of  their  religion  or  their  customs. 
One  must  live  among  them  to  induce  them  to  impart  any  informa 
tion  concerning  their  mode  of  life  or  religious  faith  ;  to  a  stranger 
they  are  always  reserved. 

Their  dances  and  feasts  are  not  amusements.  They  all  have  an 
object  and  meaning,  and  are  celebrated  year  #fter  year,  under  a 
belief  that  neglect  will  be  punished  by  the  Great  Spirit  by  means 
of  disease,  want,  or  the  attacks  of  enemies.  ^All  their  fear  of  pun 
ishment  is  confined  to  what  they  may  suffer  in  this  world.  They 
have  no  fear  of  the  anger  of  their  deities  being  continued  after 
death|  Revolting  as  the  ceremony  of  dancing  round  a  scalp  seems 
to  us,  an  Indian  believes  it  to  be  a  sacred  duty  to  celebrate  it. 
The  dancing  part  is  performed  by  the  old  and  young  squaws.  The 
medicine  men  sing,  beat  the  drum,  rattle  the  gourd,  and  use  such 
other  instruments  as  they  contrive.  Anything  is  considered  a  mu 
sical  instrument  that  will  assist  in  creating  discordant  sounds. 
One  of  these  is  a  bone  with  notches  on  it,  one  end  of  which  rests 
on  a  tin  pan,  the  other  being  held  in  the  left  hand,  while,  with  a 
piece  of  bone  in  the  right,  which  a  medicine  man  draws  over  the 
notches,  sounds  as  discordant  and  grating  as  possible  are  created. 

The  squaws  dance  around  the  scalps  in  concentric  circles,  in 
groups  of  from  four  to  twelve  together,  pressing  their  shoulders 
against  each  other,  and  at  every  stroke  of  the  drum  raising  them- 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 


selves  to  their  utmost  height,  hopping  and  sliding  a  short  distance 
to  the  left,  singing  all  the  time  with  the  medicine  men.  They 
keep  time  perfectly.  In  the  centre,  the  scalps  are  attached  to  a 
pole  stuck  in  the  ground,  or  else  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  some 
of  the  squaws.  The  scalp  is  stretched  on  a  hoop,  and  the  pole  to 
which  it  is  attached  is  several  feet  long.  It  is  also  covered  with 
vermilion  or  red  earth,  and  ornamented  with  feathers,  ribbons, 
beads,  and  other  trinkets,  and  usually  a  pair  of  scissors  or  a  comb. 
After  dancing  for  a  few  minutes,  the  squaws  stop  to  rest.  Du 
ring  this  interval  one  of  the  squaws,  who  has  had  a  son,  husband, 
or  brother  killed  by  a  warrior  of  the  tribe  from  which  the  scalp 
she  holds  was  taken,  will  relate  the  particulars  of  his  death,  and 
wind  up  by  saying,  "  Whose  scalp  have  I  now  on  my  shoulders  ?" 
At  this  moment  there  is  a  general  shout,  and  the  dance  again 
commences.  This  ceremony  continues  sometimes,  at  intervals,  for 
months ;  usually  during  the  warm  weather.  After  the  dance  is 
done,  the  scalp  is  buried  or  put  up  on  the  scaffold  with  some  of  the 
deceased  of  the  tribe  who  took  the  scalp.  So  much  for  the  scalp 
dance — a  high  religious  ceremony,  not,  as  some  suppose,  a  mere 
amusement. 

The  Sacred  Feast  is  given  in  honor  of  the  sacred  medicine, 
and  is  always  given  by  medicine-men  or  women  who  are  initiated 
into  the  mysteries  of  the  medicine  dance.  The  medicine  men  are 
invariably  the  greatest  rascals  of  the  band,  yet  the  utmost  respect 
.  is  shown  them.  Every  one  fears  the  power  of  a  medicine  man. 

When  a  medicine  man  intends  giving  a  feast,  he  goes  or  sends 
to  the  persons  whom  he  wishes  to  invite.  When  all  are  assem 
bled,  the  giver  of  the  feast  opens  the  medicine  bag  with  some 
formality.  The  pipe  is  lit  and  smoked  by  all  present ;  but  it  is 
first  offered  to  the  Great  Spirit.  After  the  smoking,  food  is 
placed  in  wooden  bowls,  or  other  vessels  that  visitors  may  have 
brought ;  for  it  is  not  a  breach  of  etiquette  to  bring  dishes  with 
you  to  the  feast.  When  all  are  served,  the  word  is  given  to  com 
mence  eating,  and  those  that  cannot  eat  all  that  is  given  them, 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 


must  make  a  present  to  the  host,  besides  hiring  some  one  present 
to  eat  what  they  fail  to  consume.  To  waste  a  morsel  would  offend 
the  Great  Spirit,  and  injure  or  render  useless  the  medicine.  Every 
one  having  finished  eating,  the  kettle  in  which  the  food  was  cooked 
is  smoked  with  cedar  leaves  or  grass.  Before  the  cooking  is  com 
menced,  all  the  fire  within  the  wigwam  is  put  out,  and  a  fresh  one 
made  from  flint  and  steel.  In  the  celebration  of  the  Sacred  Feast, 
the  fire  and  cooking  utensils  are  kept  and  consecrated  exclusively 
to  that  purpose.  After  the  feast  is  over,  all  the  bones  are  care 
fully  collected  and  thrown  into  the  water,  in  order  that  no  dog 
may  get  them,  nor  a  woman  trample  on  them. 

J  The  Sioux  worship  the  sun.  |  The  sun  dance  is  performed  by 
young  warriors  who  dance,  at  intervals  of  five  minutes,  for  several 
days.  They  hop  on  one  foot  and  then  on  the  other,  keeping  time 
to  the  drum,  and  making  indescribable  gestures,  each  having  a 
small  whistle  in  his  mouth,  with  his  face  turned  towards  the  sun. 
The  singing  and  other  music  is  performed  by  the  medicine  men. 
The  drum  used  is  a  raw  hide  stretched  over  a  keg,  on  which  a 
regular  beating  of  time  is  made  with  a  short  stick  with  a  head  to 
it.  j  Women  pretend  to  foretell  future  events,  and,  for  this  reason, 
are  sometimes  invited  to  medicine  feasts.  \  >JT 


II. 

INDIAN     DOCTORS. 

WHEN  an  Indian  is  sick  and  wants  "  the  Doctor"  as  we  say,  or  a 
medicine  man,  as  they  say, — they  call  them  also  priests,  doctors  and 
jugglers, — a  messenger  is  sent  for  one,  with  a  pipe  filled  in  one  hand, 
and  payment  in  the  other ;  which  fee  may  be  a  gun,  blanket,  ket 
tle  or  anything  in  the  way  of  present.  The  messenger  enters  the 
wigwam  (or  teepee,  as  the  houses  of  the  Sioux  are  called)  of  the 
juggler,  presents  the  pipe,  and  lays  the  present  or  fee  beside  him. 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  xxiii 

Having  smoked,  the  Doctor  goes  to  the  teepee  of  the  patient,  takes 
a  seat  at  some  distance  from  him,  divests  himself  of  coat  or  blanket, 
and  pulls  his  leggins  to  his  ankles.  He  then  calls  for  a  gourd, 
which  has  been  suitably  prepared,  by  drying  and  putting  small 
beads  or  gravel  stones  in  it,  to  make  a  rattling  noise.  Taking  the 
gourd,  he  begins  to  rattle  it  and  to  sing,  thereby  to  charm  the 
animal  that  has  entered  the  body  of  the  sick  Sioux.  After  sing 
ing  hi-he-hi-hah  in  quick  succession,  the  chorus  ha-ha-ha,  hahahah 
is  more  solemnly  and  gravely  chaunted.  On  due  repetition  of  this 
the  doctor  stops  to  smoke ;  then  sings  and  rattles  again.  He 
sometimes  attempts  to  draw  with  his  mouth  the  disease  from  an 
arm  or  a  limb  that  he  fancies  to  be  affected.  Then  rising,  apparently 
almost  suffocated,  groaning  terribly  and  thrusting  his  face  into  a 
bowl  of  water,  he  makes  all  sorts  of  gestures  and  noises.  This  is 
to  get  rid  of  the  disease  that  he  pretends  to  have  drawn  from 
the  sick  person.  When  he  thinks  that  some  animal,  fowl  or  fish, 
has  possession  of  the  sick  man,  so  as  to  cause  the  disease,  it  be 
comes  necessary  to  destroy  the  animal  by  shooting  it.  To  accom 
plish  this,  the  doctor  makes  the  shape  of  the  animal  of  bark,  which 
is  placed  in  a  bowl  of  water  mixed  with  red  earth,  which  he  sets 
outside  of  the  wigwam  where  some  young  men  are  standing,  who 
are  instructed  by  the  doctor  how  and  when  to  shoot  the  animal. 

When  all  is  ready,  the  doctor  pops  his  head  out  of  the  wigwam, 
on  his  hands  and  knees.  At  this  moment  the  young  men  fire  at 
the  little  bark  animal,  blowing  it  to  atoms  ;  when  the  doctor  jumps 
at  the  bowl,  thrusting  his  face  into  the  water,  grunting,  groaning 
and  making  a  vast  deal  of  fuss.  Suddenly  a  woman  jumps  upon 
his  back,  then  dismounts,  takes  the  doctor  by  the  hair,  and  drags 
him  back  into  the  teepee.  All  fragments  of  the  bark  animal  are 
then  collected  and  burned.  The  ceremony  there  ceases.  If 
the  patient  does  not  recover,  the  doctor  says  he  did  not  get  the 
right  animal.  The  reader  must  be  convinced  that  it  is  not 
for  want  of  the  most  strenuous  exertions  on  the  part  of  the 
physician. 


xxiv  PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

These  are  some  of  the  customs  of  the  Dahcotahs,  which,  how 
ever  absurd  they  may  appear  to  us,  are  held  in  sacred  reverence 
by  them.  There  are  some  animals,  birds  and  fishes,  that  an  Indian 
venerates  ;  and  the  creature  thus  sacred,  he  dare  neither  kill  nor 
eat.  The  selection  is  usually  a  bear,  buffalo,  deer,  otter,  eagle, 
hawk  or  snake.  One  will  not  eat  the  right  wing  of  a  bird  ;  another 
dare  not  eat  the  left :  nor  are  the  women  allowed  to  eat  any  part 
that  is  considered  sacred. 

The  Sioux  say  it  is  lawful  to  take  revenge,  but  otherwise  it  is 
not  right  to  murder.  When  murder  is  committed,  it  is  an  injury 
to  the  deceased,  not  a  sin  against  the  Great  Spirit.  So/ne  of  their 
wise  men  say  that  the  Great  Spirit  has  nothing  to  do  with  their 
affairs,  present  or  future.  They  pretend  to  know  but  little  of  a 
future  state.  They  have  dreamy  ideas  of  large  cities  somewhere 
in  the  heavens,  where  they  will  go,  but  still  be  at  war  with  their 
enemies  and  have  plenty  of  game.  An  Indian  woman's  idea  of 
future  happiness  consists  in  relief  from  care.  "  Oh  !  that  I  were 
dead,"  they  will  often  say,  "  when  I  shall  have  no  more  trouble." 
Veneration  is  much  regarded  in  all  Indian  families.  Thus  a  son- 
in-law  must  never  call  his  father-in-law  by  his  name,  but  by  the 
title  father-in-law,  and  vice  versa.  A  female  is  not  permitted  to 
handle  the  sac  for  war  purposes ;  neither  does  she  dare  look  into 
a  looking-glass,  for  fear  of  losing  her  eyesight. 

The  appearance  of  a  brilliant  aurora-borealis  occasions  great 
alarm.  The  Indians  run  immediately  for  their  guns  and  bows  and 
arrows  to  shoot  at  it,  and  thus  disperse  it. 


III. 

INDIAN      NAMES     AND     WRITING. 

THE  names  of  the  Sioux  bands  or  villages,  are  as  fanciful  as  those 
given  to  individuals.     Near  Fort  Snelling,  are  the  "  Men-da-wah- 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 


can-tons,"  or  people  of  the  spirit  lakes ;  the  "  Wahk-patons,"  or 
people  of  the  leaves ;  the  "  Wahk-pa-coo-tahs,"  or  people  that 
shoot  at  leaves,  and  other  bands  who  have  names  of  this  kind. 
Among  those  chiefs  who  have  been  well-known  around  Fort  Snel- 
ling,  are, 

Wah-ba-shaw,  The  Leaf. 

Wah-ke-on-tun-kah,  Big  Thunder. 

Wah-coo-ta,  Red  Wing. 

Muzza  Hotah,  Gray  Iron. 

Ma-pe-ah-we-chas-tah,  The  man  in  the  Cloud. 

Tah-chun-coo-wash-ta,  Good  Road. 

Sha-co-pee,  The  Sixth. 

Wah-soo-we-chasta-ne,  Bad  Hail. 

Ish-ta-hum-bah,  Sleepy  Eyes. 

These  fanciful  names  are  given  to  them  from  some  peculiarity 
in  appearance  or  conduct ;  or  sometimes  from  an  occurrence  that 
took  place  at  the  time  that  they  usually  receive  the  name  that  is 
ascribed  to  them  for  life.  There  is  a  Sioux  living  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Fort  Snelling,  called  "  The  man  that  walks  with  the  wo 
men."  It  is  not  customary  for  the  Indian  to  show  much  conside 
ration  for  the  fair  sex,  and  this  young  man,  exhibiting  some  symp 
toms  of  gallantry  unusual  among  them,  received  the  above  name. 
The  Sioux  have  ten  names  for  their  children,  given  according  to 
the  order  of  their  birth. 

The  oldest  son  is  called  Chaske, 

"    second,  Haparm, 

"    third,  Ha-pe-dah, 

"    fourth,  Chatun, 

"    fifth,  Harka, 

The  oldest  daughter  is  called  Wenonah, 

"    second,  Harpen, 

"    third,  Harpstenah, 

"    fourth,  Waska, 

"    fifth,  We-harka, 


xxvi  PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 

These  names  they  retain  until  another  is  given  by  their  relations 
or  friends. 

The  Dahcotahs  say  that  meteors  are  men  or  women  flying  through 
the  air ;  that  they  fall  to  pieces  as  they  go  along,  finally  falling  to 
the  earth.  They  call  them  "  Wah-ken-den-da,  or  the  mysterious 
passing  fire.  They  have  a  tradition  of  a  meteor  which,  they  say, 
was  passing  over  a  hill  where  there  was  an  Indian  asleep.  The 
meteor  took  the  Indian  on  his  back,  and  continued  his  route  till  it 
came  to  a  pond  where  there  were  many  ducks.  The  ducks  seeing 
the  meteor,  commenced  a  general  quacking,  which  so  alarmed  him 
that  he  turned  off  and  went  around  the  pond,  and  was  about  to 
pass  over  an  Indian  village.  Here  he  was  again  frightened  by  a 
young  warrior,  who  was  playing  on  the  flute.  Being  afraid  of 
music,  he  passed  around  the  village,  and  soon  after  falling  to  the 
earth,  released  his  burden.  The  Indian  then  asked  the  meteor  to 
give  him  his  head  strap,  which  he  refused.  The  Indian  offered 
him  a  feather  of  honor  for  it,  and  was  again  refused.  The  Sioux, 
determined  to  gain  his  point,  told  the  meteor  if  he  would  give  him 
the  strap,  he  would  kill  a  big  enemy  for  him.  No  reply  from  the 
meteor.  The  Indian  then  offered  to  kill  a  wigwam  full  of  enemies 
— the  meteor  still  mute.  The  last  offer  was  six  wigwams  full  of 
dead  enemies  for  the  so  much  coveted  strap.  The  meteor  was 
finally  bribed,  gave  up  the  head-strap,  and  the  Sioux  went  home 
with  the  great  glory  of  having  outwitted  a  meteor ;  for,  as  they 
met  no  more,  the  debt  was  never  paid. 

The  language  of  the  Sioux  would,  with  proper  facilities,  be  easily 
acquired.  It  is  said,  in  many  respects,  to  resemble  the  ancient 
Greek.  Even  after  having  acquired  considerable  knowledge  of 
the  language  by  study,  it  is  necessary  to  live  among  the  people  in 
order  to  understand  their  fanciful  mode  of  speaking. 

One  of  the  chiefs,  "  Sleepy  Eyes,"  visited  a  missionary  not  many 
weeks  since,  and  on  being  asked  why  he  did  not  come  at  the  time 
appointed,  replied,  "  How  could  I  come  when  I  have  no  mocas 
sins,"  meaning  that  he  had  no  horse.  The  horse  had  recently  been 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  xxvii 

killed  by  a  man  who  owed  him  a  grudge ;  and  his  way  of  alluding 
to  the  loss  was  the  mocassins.  On  another  occasion,  this  same 
chief,  having  done  what  he  considered  a  favor  for  the  missionaries, 
at  Traverse  des  Sioux,  told  them  that  his  coat  was  worn  out,  and 
that  he  had  neither  cloth  nor  thread  to  mend  it ;  the  fact  was,  that 
he  had  no  coat  at  all,  no  cloth  nor  thread ;  his  brawny  neck  and  arms 
were  entirely  bare,  and  this  was  his  way  of  begging  for  a  new  coat. 
In  Indian  warfare,  the  victor  takes  the  scalp  of  his  enemy.  If 
he  have  time,  he  takes  the  entire  scalp,  including  the  ears  ;  but  if 
hurried,  a  smaller  scalp-piece  is  taken.  As  an  inducement  to  be 
foremost  in  battle,  the  first  four  that  touch  the  dead  body  of  an 
enemy,  share  the  honors  that  are  paid  to  the  one  who  slew  the  foe 
and  took  the  scalp.  But  the  victors  in  Indian  fight  frequently 
suffer  in  this  way ;  a  wounded  savage  feigns  death,  and,  as  some 
warrior  approaches  to  take  his  scalp,  he  will  suddenly  rise,  dis 
charge  his  gun,  and  fight  desperately  with  the  tomahawk  until 
killed.  Deeds  of  valor  performed  by  Indians  are  as  often  done 
from  desperation  as  from  any  natural  bravery.  They  are  educated 
to  warfare,  but  often  show  great  disinclination  to  fight ;  strategy 
goes  farther  with  them  than  manly  courage  does.  At  Fort  Snel- 
ling,  the  Sioux  have  more  than  once  crouched  under  the  walls  of 
the  fort  for  protection,  and  on  one  occasion  a  chief,  who  came  in 
to  give  information  of  the  approach  of  some  Chippeways  trembled 
so  as  to  shake  the  ornaments  about  his  dress. 

INDIAN   WRITING. 


II  V\  k\ 

No.  1  and  3,  prisoners  captured  by  No.  2.     (No  hands  on  the  prisoners.) 
No.  1,  female  prisoner.     No.  3,  male. 


xxviii 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 


Nos.  4  and  5,  female  and  male  killed ;  6  and  7,  boy  and  girl  killed. 

3  9  10  ii  12 


No.  8,  that  he  has  killed  his  enemy ;  9,  that  he  has  cut  the  throat  of  his 
enemy,  and  taken  the  scalp ;  10,  that  he  was  the  third  that  touched  the 
body  of  his  enemy  after  he  was  killed;  11,  the  fourth  that  touched  it; 
12,  the  fifth  that  touched  it. 


No.  13,  been  wounded  in  many  places  by  this  enemy ;  15,  that  he  has 
cut  the  throat  of  the  enemy. 

The  above  represents  the  feathers  from  the  war  eagle.     They  are  worn  in 
the  hair  of  the  warriors,  as  honors. 

The  above  represents  the  only  way  that  the  Sioux  have  of  writ 
ing  an  account  of  an  engagement  that  has  taken  place. 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS.  xxix 


IV. 


INDIAN      CHILDREN. 

fThe  children  among  the  Sioux  are  early  accustomed  to  look  with 
indifference  upon  the  sufferings  or  death  of  a  person  they  hat^f  A 
few  years  ago  a  battle  was  fought  quite  near  Fort  Snelling.  The 
next  day  the  Sioux  children  were  playing  foot-ball  merrily  with 
the  head  of  a  Chippeway.  One  boy,  and  a  small  boy  too,  had 
ornamented  his  head  and  ears  with  curls.  He  had  taken  the  skin 
peeled  off  a  Chippeway  who  was  killed  in  the  battle,  wound  it 
around  a  stick  until  it  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  curl,  and  tied 
them  over  his  ears.  Another  child  had  a  string  around  his  neck 
with  a  finger  hanging  to  it  as  an  ornament.  /The  infants,  instead 
of  being  amused  with  toys  or  trinkets,  are  held  up  to  see  the  scalp 
of  an  enemy^and  they  learn  to  hate  a  Chippeway  as  soon  as  to 
ask  for  food. 

After  the  battle,  the  mother  of  a  Sioux  who  was  severely 
wounded  found  her  way  to  the  fort.  She  entered  the  room 
weeping  sadly.  Becoming  quite  exhausted,  she  seated  herself  on 
the  floor,  and  said  she  wanted  some  coffee  and  sugar  for  her  sick 
son,  some  linen  to  bind  up  his  wounds,  a  candle  to  burn  at  night, 
and  some  whiskey  to  make  her  cry  !  Her  son  recovered,  and  the 
mother,  as  she  sat  by  and  watched  him,  had  the  satisfaction  to  see 
the  scalps  of  the  murdered  Chippeway s  stretched  on  poles  all 
through  the  village,  around  which  she,  sixty  years  old,  looked  for 
ward  with  great  joy  to  dance ;  though  this  was  a  small  gratifica 
tion  compared  with  her  recollection  of  having  formerly  cut  to 
pieces  the  bodies  of  sundry  murdered  Chippeway  children. 

A  dreadful  creature  she  was !  How  vividly  her  features  rise 
before  me.  Well  do  I  remember  her  as  she  entered  my  room  on 
a  stormy  day  in  January.  Her  torn  mocassins  were  a  mocking 
protection  to  her  nearly  frozen  feet ;  her  worn  "  okendo  kenda" 


xxx  PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 

hardly  covering  a  wrinkled  neck  and  arms  seamed  with  the  scars 
of  many  a  self-inflicted  wound ;  she  tried  to  make  her  tattered 
blanket  meet  across  her  chest,  but  the  benumbed  fingers  were 
powerless,  and  her  step  so  feeble,  from  fatigue  and  want  of  food, 
that  she  almost  fell  before  the  cheerful  fire  that  seemed  to  wel 
come  her.  The  smile  with  which  she  tried  to  return  my  greeting 
added  hideously  to  the  savage  expression  of  her  features,  and  her 
matted  hair  was  covered  with  flakes  of  the  drifting  snow  that 
almost  blinded  her. 

Food,  a  pipe,  and  a  short  nap  before  the  fire,  refreshed  her  won 
derfully.  At  first  she  would  hardly  deign  an  answer  to  our  ques 
tions  ;  now  she  becomes  quite  talkative.  Her  small  keen  eye  fol 
lows  the  children  as  they  play  about  the  room ;  she  tells  of  her 
children  when  they  were  young,  and  played  around  her;  when 
their  father  brought  her  venison  for  food. 

Where  are  they?  The  Chippeways  (mark  her  as  she  com 
presses  her  lips,  and  see  the  nervous  trembling  of  her  limbs) 
killed  her  husband  and  her  oldest  son :  consumption  walked 
among  her  household  idols.  She  has  one  son  left,  but  he  loves 
the  white  man's  fire-water  ;  he  has  forgotten  his  aged  mother — 
she  has  no  one  to  bring  her  food — the  young  men  laugh  at  her, 
and  tell  her  to  kill  game  for  herself. 

At  evening  she  must  be  going — ten  miles  she  has  to  walk  to 
reach  her  teepee,  for  she  cannot  sleep  in  the  white  man's  house. 
We  tell  her  the  storm  is  howling — it  will  be  dark  before  she  reaches 
home — the  wind  blows  keenly  across  the  open  prairie — she  had 
better  lie  down  on  the  carpet  before  the  fire  and  sleep.  She 
points  to  the  walls  of  the  fort — she  does  not  speak ;  but  her  ac 
tion  says,  "  It  cannot  be ;  the  Sioux  woman  cannot  sleep  beneath 
the  roof  of  her  enemies." 

She  is  gone — God  help  the  Sioux  woman  !  the  widow  and  the 
childless.  God  help  her,  I  say,  for  other  hope  or  help  has  she 
none. 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS. 


GODS     OF      THE      DAHCOTAHS. 

First  in  order  of  the  gods  of  the  Dahcotahs,  comes  the  Great 
Spirit.  He  is  the  creator  of  all  things,  excepting  thunder  and 
wild  rice.  Then  there  is, 

Wakinyan,  or  Man  of  the  West. 

Wehiyayanpa-micaxta,  Man  of  the  East. 

Wazza,  Man  of  the  North. 

Itokaga-micaxta,  Man  of  the  South. 

Onkteri,  or  Unktahe,  God  of  the  Waters. 

Hayoka,  or  Haoka,  the  antinatural  god. 

Takuakanxkan,  god  of  motion. 

Canotidan,  Little  Dweller  in  Woods.  This  god  is  said  to  live  in 
a  forest,  in  a  hollow  tree. 

Witkokaga,  the  Befooler,  that  is,  the  god  who  deceives  or  fools 
animals  so  that  they  can  be  easily  taken. 


DAHCOTAH; 

OR, 

THE   LEGENDS    OF    THE    SIOUX. 

MOCK-PE-EN-DA.G-A-WIN : 

OR, 

CHECKERED  CLOUD,  THE  MEDICINE  WOMAN.* 

WITHIN   a  few  miles   of  Fort  Snelling  lives  Checkered 
Cloud.    Not  that  she  has  any  settled  habitation  ;  she  is  far  too"] 
important  a  character  for  that.     Indeed  she  is  not  often  two 
days  in  the  same  place.     Her  wanderings  are  not,  however, 
of  any  great  extent,  so  that  she  can  always  be  found  when 
wanted.  But  her  wigwam  is  about  seven  miles  from  the  fort, - 
and  she  is  never  much  farther  off.     Her  occupations  change 
with  the  day.     She  has  been  very  busy  of  late,  for  Check- 

"f  A  medicine  woman  is  a  female  doctor  or  juggler.  No  man  or  woman  can 
assume  this  office  without  previous  initiation  by  authority.  The  medicine 
dance  is  a  sacred  rite,  in  honor  of  the  souls  of  the  dead  ;  the  mysteries  of 
this  dance  are  kept  inviolable ;  its  secrets  have  never  been  divulged  by  its 
members.  The  medicine  men  and  women  attend  in  cases  of  sickness.  The 
Sioux  have  the  greatest  faith  in  them./  When  the  patient  recovers,  it  re 
dounds  to  the  honor  of  the  doctor ;  if  he  die,  they  say  "  The  time  had  come 
that  he  should  die,"  or  that  the  "  medicine  of  the  person  who  cast  a  spell  upon 
the  sick  person  was  stronger  than  the  doctor's."  They  can  always  find  a  sat 
isfactory  solution  of  the  failure  of  the  charm. 

2* 


34  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 


ered  Cl.Qtki  is  o&a  *>£  the  medicine  women  of  the  Dahco- 
tahs  ;  and  as  the  Indians  have  had  a  good  deal  of  sickness 
among  them,  you  might  follow  her  from  teepee  to  teepee,  as 
she  proceeds  with  the  sacred  rattle*  in  her  hand,  charming 
away  the  animal  that  has  entered  the  body  of  the  Dahco- 
tah  to  steal  his  strength. 

Then,  she  is  the  great  legend-teller  of  the  Dahcotahs. 
If  there  is  a  merry-making  in  the  village,  Checkered 
Cloud  must  be  there,  to  call  to  the  minds  of  the  revellers 
the  traditions  that  have  been  handed  down  from  time  imme 
morial. 

Yesterday,  wrapped  in  her  blanket,  she  was  seated  on 
the  St.  Peters,  near  a  hole  which  she  had  cut  in  the  ice,  in 
order  to  spear  the  fish  as  they  passed  through  the  water ; 
and  to-day — but  while  I  am  writing  of  her,  she  approaches 
the  house ;  even  now,  her  shadow  falls  upon  the  room  as 
she  passes  the  window.  I  need  not  listen  to  her  step,  for 
her  mocassined  feet  pass  noiselessly  through  the  hall.  The 
door  is  slowly  opened,  and  she  is  before  me  ! 

How  tall  she  is  !  and  with  what  graceful  dignity  she 
offers  her  hand.  Seventy  winters  have  passed  over  her,  but 
the  brightness  of  her  eye  is  undimmed  by  time.  Her 
brow  speaks  of  intellect — and  the  white  hair  that  is  parted 
over  it  falls  unplaited  on  her  shoulders.  She  folds  her 
blanket  round  her  and  seats  herself;  she  has  a  request  to 
make,  I  know,  but  Checkered  Cloud  is  not  a  beggar,  she 

*  Sacred  rattle.  This  is  generally  a  gourd,  but  is  sometimes  made  of  bark. 
Small  beads  are  put  into  it.  The  Sioux  suppose  that  this  rattle,  in  the  hands 
of  one  of  their  medicine  men  or  women,  possesses  a  certain  virtue  to  charm 
away  sickness  or  evil  spirits.  They  shake  it  over  a  sick  person,  using  a  cir 
cular  motion.  It  is  never,  however,  put  in  requisition  against  the  worsi  spirits 
with  which  the  Red  Man  has  to  contend. 


CHECKERED   CLOUD,  THE   MEDICINE  WOMAN.  35 

never  asks  aught  but  what  she  feels  she  has  a  right  to 
claim. 

"  Long  ago,"  she  says,  "the  Dahcotah  owned  lands  that 
the  white  man  now  claims ;  the  trees,  the  rivers,  were  all 
our  own.  But  the  Great  Spirit  has  been  angry  with  his 
children;  he  has  taken  their  forests  and  their  hunting 
grounds,  and  given  them  to  others. 

"  When  I  was  young,  I  feared  not  wind  nor  storm.  Days 
have  I  wandered  with  the  hunters  of  my  tribe,  that  they 
might  bring  home  many  buffalo  for  food,  and  to  make  our 
wigwams.  Then,  I  cared  not  for  cold  and  fatigue,  for  I 
was  young  and  happy.  But  now  I  am  old  ;'  my  children 
have  gone  before  me  to  the  *  House  of  Spirits' — the  tender 
boughs  have  yielded  to  the  first  rough  wind  of  autumn, 
while  the  parent  tree  has  stood  and  borne  the  winter's 
storm. 

"  My  sons  have  fallen  by  the  tomahawk  of  their  ene 
mies  ;  my  daughter  sleeps  under  the  foaming  waters  of  the 
Falls. 

"  Twenty  winters  were  added  to  my  life  on  that  day.  We 
had  encamped  at  some  distance  above  the  Falls,  and  our 
hunters  had  killed  many  deer.  Before  we  left  our  village 
to  go  on  the  hunt,  we  sacrificed  to  the  Spirit  of  the  woods, 
and  we  prayed  to  the  Great  Spirit.  We  lifted  up  our 
hands  and  said,  '  Father,  Great  Spirit,  help  us  to  kill  deer.' 
The  arrows  of  our  hunters  never  missed,  and  as  we  made 
ready  for  our  return  we  were  happy,  for  we  knew  we  should 
not  want  for  food.  My  daughter's  heart  was  light,  for  Ha- 
parm  was  with  her,  and  she  never  was  sad  but  when  he  was 
away. 

"  Just  before  we  arrived  at  the  Falls,  she  became  sick  ;  her 


36  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

hands  were  burning  hot,  she  refused  to  eat.  As  the  canoe 
passed  over  the  Mississippi,  she  would  fill  her  cup  with  its 
waters,  to  drink  and  throw  over  her  brow.  The  medicine 
men  were  always  at  her  side,  but  they  said  some  evil  spirit 
hated  her,  and  prevented  their  spells  from  doing  her  good. 

"When  we  reached  the  Falls,  she  was  worse  ;  the  women 
left  their  canoes,  and  prepared  to  carry  them  and  the  rest 
of  the  baggage  round  the  Falls. 

"  But  what  should  we  do  with  We-no-nah  ?  the  flush 
of  fever  was  on  her  cheek ;  she  did  not  know  me  when 
I  spoke  to  her ;  but  she  kept  her  eyes  fixed  upon  her 
lover. 

"  '  We  will  leave  her  in  the  canoe,'  said  her  father  ;  '  and 
with  a  line  we  can  carry  her  gently  over  the  Rapids.'  I 
was  afraid,  but  with  her  brothers  holding  the  line  she  must 
be  safe.  So  I  left  my  child  in  her  canoe,  and  paddled  with 
the  others  to  the  shore. 

"  As  we  left  her,  she  turned  her  eyes  towards  us,  as  if 
anxious  to  know  what  we  were  about  to  do.  The  men  held 
the  line  steadily,  and  the  canoe  floated  so  gently  that  I  be 
gan  to  feel  less  anxious — but  as  we  approached  the  rapids, 
my  heart  beat  quickly  at  the  sound  of  the  waters.  Care 
fully  did  her  brothers  hold  the  line,  and  I  never  moved  my 
eyes  from  the  canoe  in  which  she  lay.  Now  the  roaring 
of  the  waters  grew  louder,  and  as  they  hastened  to  the  rocks 
over  which  they  would  fall  they  bore  with  them  my  child — 
I  saw  her  raise  herself  in  the  canoe,  I  saw  her  long  hair  as 
it  fell  on  her  bosom — I  saw  no  more ! 

"  My  sons  bore  me  in  their  arms  to  the  rest  of  the  party. 
The  hunters  had  delayed  their  return  that  they  might  seek 
for  the  body  of  my  child.  Her  lover  called  to  her,  his  voice 


CHECKERED  CLOUD,  THE   MEDICINE  WOMAN.  37 

could  be  heard  above  the  sound  of  the  waters.  '  Return 
to  me,  Wenonah,  I  will  never  love  maiden  but  you  ;  did  you 
not  promise  to  light  the  fires  in  my  wigwam  ?'  He  would 
have  thrown  himself  after  her,  had  not  the  young  men  pre 
vented  him.  The  body  rests  not  in  the  cold  waters  ;  we 
found  it  and  buried  it,  and  her  spirit  calls  to  me  in  the  si 
lence  of  the  night !  Her  lover  said  he  would  not  remain 
long  on  the  earth ;  he  turned  from  the  Dahcotah  maidens 
as  they  smiled  upon  him.  He  died  as  a  warrior  should 
die! 

"  The  Chippeways  had  watched  for  us,  they  longed  to 
carry  the  scalp  of  a  Dahcotah  home.  They  did  so — but  we 
were  avenged. 

"Our  young  men  burst  in  upon  them  when  they  were 
sleeping ;  they  struck  them  with  their  tomahawks,  they 
tore  their  scalps  reeking  with  blood  from  their  heads. 

"  We  heard  our  warriors  at  the  village  as  they  returned 
from  their  war  party ;  we  knew  by  their  joyful  cries  that 
they  had  avenged  their  friends.  One  by  one  they  entered 
the  village,  bearing  twenty  scalps  of  the  enemy. 

"  Only  three  of  the  Dahcotahs  had  fallen.  But  who 
were  the  three  ?  My  sons,  and  he  who  was  as  dear  as  a 
son  to  me,  the  lover  of  my  child.  I  fled  from  their  cries 
of  triumph — I  longed  to  plunge  the  knife  into  my  own  heart. 

"  I  have  lived  on.  But  sorrow  and  cold  and  hunger  have 
bowed  my  spirit ;  and  my  limbs  are  not  as  strong  and  ac 
tive  as  they  were  in  my  youth.  Neither  can  I  work  with 
porcupine  as  I  used  to — for  age  and  tears  have  dimned  my 
sight.  I  bring  you  venison  and  fish,  will  you  not  give  me 
clothes  to  protect  me  from  the  winter's  cold  ?" 

Ah  !  Checkered  Cloud — he  was   a  prophet  who  named 


38  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

you.  Though  the  cloud  has  varied,  now  passing  away, 
now  returning  blacker  than  before — though  the  cheering 
light  of  the  sun  has  for  a  moment  dispelled  the  gloom — 
'twas  but  for  a  moment  !  for  it  was  sure  to  break  in  terrors 
over  your  head.  Your  name  is  your  history,  your  life  has 
been  a  checkered  cloud !  But  the  storm  of  the  day  has 
yielded  to  the  influence  of  the  setting  sun.  The  thunder 
has  ceased  to  roll,  the  wind  has  died  away,  and  the  golden 
streaks  that  bound  the  horizon  promise  a  brighter  morning. 
So  with  Checkered  Cloud,  the  storm  and  strife  of  the  earth 
have  ceased ;  the  "  battle  of  life"  is  fought,  and  she  has 
conquered.  For  she  hopes  to  meet  the  beloved  of  earth  in 
the  heaven  of  the  Dahcotahs. 

And  who  will  say  that  our  heaven  will  not  be  hers  ?  The 
God  of  the  Dahcotahs  is  ours,  though  they,  less  happy  than 
we,  have  not  been  taught  to  know  him.  Christians !  are 
you  without  blame  ?  Have  you  thought  of  the  privations, 
the  wants  of  those  who  once  owned  your  country,  and  would 
own  it  still  but  for  the  strong  hand  ?  Have  you  remem 
bered  that  their  souls  are  dear  in  His  sight,  who  suffered 
for  them,  as  well  as  for  you  ?  Have  you  given  bright  gold 
that  their  children  might  be  educated  and  redeemed  from 
their  slavery  of  soul  ?  Checkered  Cloud  will  die  as  she  has 
lived,  a  believer  in  the  religion  of  the  Dahcotahs.  The 
traditions  of  her  tribe  are  written  on  her  heart.  She 
worships  a  spirit  in  every  forest  tree,  or  every  running 
stream.  The  features  of  the  favored  Israelite  are  hers ; 
she  is  perchance  a  daughter  of  their  lost  tribe.  When 
she  was  young,  she  would  have  listened  to  the  missionary 
as  he  told  her  of  Gethsemane  and  Calvary.  But  age  yields 
not  like  youth  to  new  impressions ;  the  one  looks  to  the  fu- 


CHECKERED   CLOUD,   THE   MEDICINE  WOMAN.  39 

ture,  the  other  clings  to  the  past.  See  !  she  has  put  by 
her  pipe  and  is  going,  but  she  is  coming  oft  again  to  talk 
to  me  of  her  people,  that  I  may  tell  to  my  friends  the 
bravery  of  the  Dahcotah  warrior,  and  the  beauty  of  the 
maiden !  the  legends  of  their  rivers  and  sacred  isles — the 
traditions  of  their  rocks  and  hills ! 

If  I  cannot,  in  recounting  the  wild  stories  of  this  prophet 
ess  of  the  forest,  give  her  own  striking  words,  I  shall  at 
least  be  faithful  to  the  spirit  of  her  recitals.  I  shall  let 
Indian  life  speak  for  itself ;  these  true  pictures  of  its  course 
will  tell  its  whole  simple  story  better  than  any  labored  ex 
position  of  mine.  /Here  we  may  see,  nqt^thfl  red  ma.n.j?f 
the  novel  or  the  drama,  but  the  red  man  as  he  appears  to 
himself,  and  to  those  who  live  with  him.J  His  better  char 
acteristics  will  be  found  quite  as  numerous  as  ought  to  be 
expected  under  the  circumstances ;  his  faults  and  his  suf 
ferings  should  appeal  to  the  hearts  of  those  who  hold  the 
means  of  his  salvation.  No  intelligent  citizen  of  these 
United  States  can  without  blame  forget  the  aborigines  of 
his  country.  Their  wrongs  cry  to  heaven  ;  their  souls 
will  be  required  of  us.  To  view  them  as  brutes  is  an  in 
sult  to  Him  who  made  them  and  us.  May  this  little  work  ! 
do  something  towards  exciting  an  interest  in  a  single  tribe  / 
out  of  the  many  whose  only  hope  is  in  the  mercy  of  the/ 
white  man !  T? 


RED  EARTH; 

OR, 

MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN. 


"  GOOD  ROAD"  is  one  of  the  Dahcotah  chiefs — he  is  fifty 
years  old  and  has  two  wives,  but  these  two  have  given  a  deal 
of  trouble  ;  although  the  chief  probably  thinks  it  of  no  im 
portance  whether  his  two  wives  fight  all  the  time  or  not, 
so  that  they  obey  his  orders.  For  what  would  be  a  ca 
lamity  in  domestic  life  to  us,  is  an  every  day  affair  among 
the  Dahcotahs. 

Good  Road's  village  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  St. 
Peter's  about  seven  miles  from  Fort  Snelling.  And  like 
other  Indian  villages  it  abounds  in  variety  more  than  any 
thing  else.  In  the  teepee  the  farthest  from  us,  right  on  the 
edge  of  the  shore,  there  are  three  young  men  carousing. 
One  is  inclined  to  go  to  sleep,  but  the  other  two  will  not  let 
him  ;  their  spirits  are  raised  and  excited  by  what  has  made 
him  stupid.  Who  would  suppose  they  were  human  beings  ? 
See  their  bloodshot  eyes ;  hear  their  fiendish  laugh  and 
horrid  yells  ;  probably  before  the  revel  is  closed,  one  of  the 
friends  will  have  buried  his  knife  in  the  other's  heart. 

We  will  pass  on  to  the  next  teepee.  Here  we  witness  a 
scene  almost  as  appalling.  "  Iron  Arms,"  one  of  the  most 
valiant  warriors  of  the  band,  is  stretched  in  the  agonies  of 


RED   EARTH;   OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  41 


death.  Old  Spirit  Killer,  the  medicine  man,  is  gesticulating 
by  his  side,  and  accompanying  his  motions  with  the  most 
horrid  noises.  But  all  in  vain  ;  the  spirit  of  "  Iron  Arms," 
the  man  of  strength,  is  gone.  The  doctor  says  that  his 
medicine  was  good,  but  that  a  prairie  dog  had  entered  into 
the  body  of  the  Dahcotah,  and  he  thought  it  had  been  a 
mud-hen.  Magnanimous  doctor  !  All  honor,  that  you  can 
allow  yourself  in  error. 

While  the  friends  of  the  dead  warrior  are  rending  the  air 
with  their  cries,  we  will  find  out  what  is  going  on  in  the 
next  wigwam.  What  a  contrast ! 

"  The  .Whirlpool"  is  seated  on  the  ground  smoking  ;  gaz 
ing  as  earnestly  at  the  bright  coals  as  if  in  them  he  could 
read  the  future  or  recall  the  past;  and  his  young  wife, 
whose  face,  now  merry,  now  sad,  bright  with  smiles  at  one 
moment,  and  lost  in  thought  the  next,  gained  for  her  the 
name  of"  The  Changing  Countenance,"  is  hushing  her  child 
to  sleep  ;  but  the  expression  of  her  features  does  not  change 
now — as  she  looks  on  her  child,  a  mother's  deep  and  de 
voted  love  is  pictured  on  her  face. 

In  another,  "  The  Dancing  Woman"  is  wrapped  in  her 
blanket  pretending  to  go  to  sleep.  In  vain  does  "  The  Fly 
ing  Cloud"  play  that  monotonous  courting  tune  on  the  flute. 
The  maiden  would  not  be  his  wife  if  he  gave  her  all  the 
trinkets  in  the  world.  She  loves  and  is  going  to  marry 
"  Iron  Lightning,"  who  has  gone  to  bring  her — what  ?  a 
brooch — a  new  blanket  ?  no,  a  Chippeway's  scalp,  that  she 
may  be  the  most  graceful  of  those  who  dance  around  it. 
Her  mother  is  mending  the  mocassins  of  the  old  man  who 
sleeps  before  the  fire. 

And  we  might  go  round  the  village   and   find  every 


42  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

family  differently  employed.  They  have  no  regular  hours 
for  eating  or  sleeping.  In  front  of  the  teepees,  young  men  are 
lying  on  the  ground,  lazily  playing  checkers,  while  their 
wives  and  sisters  are  cutting  wood  and  engaged  in  laborious 
household  duties. 

I  said  Good  Road  had  two  wives,  and  I  would  now  ob 
serve  that  neither  of  them  is  younger  than  himself.  But 
they  are  as  jealous  of  each  other  as  if  they  had  just  turned 
seventeen,  and  their  lord  and  master  were  twenty  instead 
of  fifty.  Not  a  day  passes  that  they  do  not  quarrel,  and 
fight  too.  They  throw  at  each  other  whatever  is  most  con 
venient,  and  sticks  of  wood  are  always  at  hand.  And  then, 
the  sons  of  each  wife  take  a  part  in  the  battle ;  they  first 
fight  for  their  mothers,  and  then  for  themselves — so  that  the 
chief  must  have  been  reduced  to  desperation  long  ago  if  it 
were  not  for  his  pipe  and  his  philosophy.  Good  Road's 
second  wife  has  Chippeway  blood  in  her  veins.  Her  mother 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Dahcotahs ;  they  adopted  her, 
and  she  became  the  wife  of  a  Dahcotah  warrior.  She 
loved  her  own  people,  and  those  who  had  adopted  her  too ; 
and  in  course  of  time  her  daughter  attained  the  honorable 
station  of  a  chief's  second  wife.  Good  Road  hates  the 
Chippeways,  but  he  fell  in  love  with  one  of  their  descend 
ants,  and  married  her.  She  is  a  good  wife,  and  the  white 
people  have  given  her  the  name  of  "  Old  Bets." 

Last  summer  "  Old  Bets"  narrowly  escaped  with  her  life. 
The  Dahcotahs  having  nothing  else  to  do,  were  amusing 
themselves  by  recalling  all  the  Chippeways  had  ever  done 
to  injure  them ;  and  those  who  were  too  lazy  to  go  out  on 
a  war  party,  happily  recollected  that  there  was  Chippeway 
blood  near  them — no  farther  off  than  their  chief's  wigwam ; 


RED   EARTH;   OR:   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  43 

and  eight  or  ten  braves  vowed  they  would  make  an  end  of 
"  Old  Bets."  But  she  heard  of  their  threats,  left  the  vil 
lage  for  a  time,  and  after  the  Dahcotahs  had  gotten  over 
their  mania  for  shedding  blood,  she  returned,  and  right  glad 
was  Good  Road  to  see  her.  For  she  has  an  open,  good 
humored  countenance ;  the  very  reverse  of  that  of  the  first 
wife,  whose  vinegar  aspect  would  frighten  away  an  army 
of  small  children. 

After  "  Old  Bets"  returned,  Good  Road  could  not  con 
ceal  his  satisfaction.  His  wife's  trip  had  evidently  improved 
her  good  looks,  for  the  chief  thought  she  was  the  hand 
somest  squaw  in  the  village.  Her  children  were  always 
taunting  the  sons  of  the  first  wife,  and  so  it  went  on,  until 
at  last  Good  Road  said  he  would  stand  it  no  longer  ;  he  told 
his  oldest  wife  to  go— that  he  would  support  her  no  longer. 
And  for  her  children,  he  told  them  the  prairies  were  large ; 
there  were  deer  and  other  game — in  short,  he  disinherited 
them— cut  them  off  with  their  last  meal. 

For  the  discarded  wife,  life  had  now  but  one  hope.  The 
only  star  that  shone  in  the  blackness  of  her  heaven,  was 
the  undefined  prospect  of  seeing  her  rival's  blood  flow. 
She  would  greatly  have  preferred  taking  her  life  herself; 
and  as  she  left  the  wigwam  of  the  chief,  she  grasped  the 
handle  of  her  knife — how  quick  her  heart  beat !  it  might 
be  now  or  never. 

But  there  were  too  many  around  to  protect  Old  Bets. 
The  time  would  come — she  would  watch  for  her — she  would 
tear  her  heart  from  her  yet. 

The  sons  of  the  old  hag  did  not  leave  the  village  ;  they 
would  keep  a  watch  on  their  father  and  his  Chippeway 
wife.  They  would  not  easily  yield  their  right  to  the  chief- 


LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


tainship.     While  they  hunted,  and  smoked,  and  played  at 
cards,  they  were  ever  on  the  look-out  for  revenge. 


CHAPTER   II. 

EARTH"  sits  by  the  door  of  her  father's  teepee; 
while  the  village  is  alive  with  cheerfulness,  she  does  not  join 
in  any  of  the  amusements  going  on,  but  seems  to  be  occu 
pied  with  what  is  passing  in  her  own  mind. 

Occasionally  she  throws  a  pebble  from  the  shore  far  into 
the  river,  and  the  copper-colored  children  spring  after  it,  as 
if  the  water  were  their  own  element,  striving  to  get  it  be 
fore  it  sinks  from  their  view. 

Had  she  been  attentive  to  what  is  passing  around  her,  she 
would  not  have  kept  her  seat,  for  "  Shining  Iron,"  the  son 
of  Good  Road's  second  wife,  approaches  her  ;  and  she  loves 
him  too  little  to  talk  with  him  when  it  can  be  avoided. 

"  Why  are  you  not  helping  the  women  to  make  the  tee 
pee,  Red  Earth?"  said  the  warrior.  "They  are  laughing 
while  they  sew  the  buffalo-skin  together,  and  you  are  sitting 
silent  and  alone.  Why  is  it  so?  Are  you  thinking  of 
1  Fiery  Wind?'" 

"  There  are  enough  women  to  make  the  teepee,"  replied 
Red  Earth,  "and  I  sit  alone  because  I  choose  to  do  so. 
But  if  I  am  thinking  of  '  Fiery  Wind'  I  do  right — he  is  a 
great  warrior !" 

"  Tell  me  if  you  love  Fiery  Wind  ?"  said  the  young  man, 
while  his  eyes  flashed  fire,  and  the  veins  in  his  temple 
swelled  almost  to  bursting. 


RED   EARTH;   OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  45 

"  I  do  not  love  you,"  said  the  girl,  "  and  that  is  enough. 
And  you  need  never  think  I  will  become  your  wife ;  your 
spells  cannot  make  me  love  you.*  Where  are  Fiery  Wind 
and  his  relations  ?  driven  from  the  wigwam  of  the  Chief  by 
you  and  your  Chippeway  mother.  But  they  do  not  fear 
you — neither  do  I !" 

And  Red  Earth  looked  calmly  at  the  angry  face  of  her 
lover.  For  Shining  Iron  did  love  her,  and  he  had  loved  her 
long.  He  had  loaded  her  with  presents,  which  she  always 
refused  ;  he  had  related  his  honors,  his  brave  acts  to  her, 
but  she  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  his  words.  He  promised  her 
he  would  always  have  venison  in  her  teepee,  and  that  he 
never  would  take  another  wife;  she  was  the  only  woman 
he  could  ever  love.  But  he  might  as  well  have  talked  to 
the  winds.  And  he  thought  so  himself,  for,  finding  he 
could  not  gain  the  heart  of  the  proud  girl,  he  determined 
she  should  never  be  the  wife  of  any  other  man,  and  he  told 
her  so. 

"  You  may  marry  Fiery  Wind,"  said  the  angry  lover, 
"  but  if  you  do,  I  will  kill  him." 

Red  Earth  heard,  but  did  not  reply  to  his  threats ;  she 
feared  not  for  herself,  but  she  trembled  at  the  prospect  of 
danger  to  the  man  she  loved.  And  while  she  turned  the 
bracelets  on  her  small  wrists,  the  warrior  left  her  to  her 
own  thoughts.  They  were  far  from  being  pleasant;  she 
must  warn  her  lover  of  the  threats  of  his  rival.  For  a 
while  she  almost  determined  she  would  not  marry  Fiery 

*  JFhe  Sioux  have  great  faith  in  spells.l  A  lover  will  take  gum,  and  after 
putting  some  medicine  in  it,  will  induce  the  girl  of  his  choice  to  chew  it,  or  put 
it  in  her  way  so  that  she  will  take  it  up  of  her  own  accord.  It  is  a  long  time 
before  an  Indian  lover  will  take  a  refusal  from  the  woman  he  has  chosen  for 
a  wife. 


•J 

46  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 


Wind,  for  then  his  life  would  be  safe ;  but  she  would  not 
break  her  promise.  Besides,  it  was  hard  for  her  to  destroy 
all  the  air-built  castles  which  she  had  built  for  her  happy 
future. 

She  knew  Shining  Iron's  bravery,  and  she  doubted  not 
he  would  fulfil  his  promise ;  for  a  moment  prudence  sug 
gested  that  she  had  better  marry  him  to  avoid  his  revenge. 
But  she  grasped  the  handle  of  her  knife,  as  if  she  would 
plunge  it  into  her  own  bosom  for  harboring  the  dark  thought. 
Never  should  she  be  unfaithful ;  when  Fiery  Wind  re 
turned  she  would  tell  him  all,  and  then  she  would  become 
his  wife,  and  she  felt  that  her  own  heart  was  true  enough 
to  guard  him,  her  own  arm  strong  enough  to  slay  his 
enemy. 


All  women  are  wilful  enough,  but  Dahcotah  women  are 
particularly  so.  Slaves  as  they  are  to  their  husbands,  they 
lord  it  over  each  other,  and  it  is  only  when  they  become 
grandmothers  that  they  seem  to  feel  their  dependence,  and 
in  many  instances  yield  implicit  obedience  to  the  wills  of 
their  grandchildren. y 

j  They  take  great  delight  in  watching  over  and  instructing 
their  children's  children ;  giving  them  lessons  in  morality,* 
and  worldly  wisdom.]  Thus  while  Red  Earth  was  making 
her  determination,  her  old  grandmother  belonging  to  the 
village  was  acting  upon  hers. 

This  old  woman  was   a  perfect  virago — an   "  embodied 

*  The  idea  is  ridiculed  by  some,  that  an  Indian  mother  troubles  herself  about 
the  morals  of  her  children ;  but  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  she  talks  to  them, 
and,  according  to  her  own  ideas  of  right  and  wrong,  tries  to  instil  good  prin 
ciples  into  their  minds.  The  grandmothers  take  a  great  deal  of  care  of  their 
grandchildren. 


RED   EARTH;    OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  47 

storm."  In  her  time  she  had  cut  off  the  hands  and  feet  of 
some  little  Chippeway  children,  and  strung  them,  and  worn 
them  for  a  necklace.  And  she  feasted  yet  at  the  pleasant 
recollections  this  honorable  exploit  induced. 

But  so  tender  was  she  of  the  feelings  of  her  own  flesh 
and  blood,  that  the  thought  of  their  suffering  the  slightest 
pain  was  death  to  her. 

Her  son  ruled  his  household  very  well  for  a  Dahcotah. 
He  had  a  number  of  young  warriors  and  hunters  growing 
up  around  him,  and  he  sometimes  got  tired  of  their  disturb 
ances,  and  would  use,  not  the  rod  but  a  stick  of  wood  to 
some  purpose.  Although  it  had  the  good  effect  of  quelling 
the  refractory  spirits  of  the  young,  it  invariably  fired  the 
soul  of  his  aged  mother.  The  old  woman  would  cry  and 
howl,  and  refuse  to  eat,  for  days ;  till,  finding  this  had  no 
effect  upon  her  hard-hearted  son,  she  told  him  she  would 
do  something  that  would  make  him  sorry,  the  next  time  he 
struck  one  of  his  children. 

But  the  dutifuj  son  paid  no  attention  to  her.  He  had  al 
ways  considered  women  as  being  inferior  to  dogs,  and  he 
would  as  soon  have  thought  of  giving  up  smoking,  as  of 
minding  his  mother's  threats. 

But  while  Red  Earth  was  thinking  of  her  absent  lover, 
Two  Stars  was  beating  his  sons  again — and  when  the 
maiden  was  left  alone  by  Shining  Iron  after  the  warning 
he  had  given  her,  she  was  attracted  by  the  cries  of  one  of 
the  old  women  of  the  village,  who  was  struggling  'mid 
earth  and  heaven,  while  old  and  young  were  running  to 
the  spot,  some  to  render  assistance,  others  to  see  the  fun. 

And  glorious  fun  it  was !  the  grandmother  had  almost 
hung  herself — that  is,  she  seriously  intended  to  do  it.  But 


48  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


she  evidently  did  not  expect  the  operation  to  be  so  painful. 
When  her  son,  in  defiance  of  her  tears  and  threats,  com 
menced  settling  his  household  difficulties  in  his  own  way, 
she  took  her  head-strap,*  went  to  a  hill  just  above  the  vil 
lage,  and  deliberately  made  her  preparations  for  hanging, 
as  coolly  too  as  if  she  had  been  used  to  being  hung  for  a 
long  time.  But  when,  after  having  doubled  the  strap  four 
times  to  prevent  its  breaking,  she  found  herself  choking, 
her  courage  gave  way — she  yelled  frightfully  ;  and  it  was 
well  that  her  son  and  others  ran  so  fast,  for  they  had  well 
nigh  been  too  late.  As  it  was,  they  carried  her  into  the 
teepee,  where  the  medicine  man  took  charge  of  her  case ; 
and  she  was  quite  well  again  in  an  hour  or  two.  Report 
says  (but  there  is  a  sad  amount  of  scandal  in  an  Indian 
village)  that  the  son  has  never  offended  the  mother  since ; 
so,  like  many  a  wilful  woman,  she  has  gained  her  point. 

Red  Earth  witnessed  the  cutting  down  of  the  old  woman, 
and  as  she  returned  to  her  teepee,  her  quick  ear  warned 
her  of  coming  footsteps.  She  lingered  apart  from  the  oth 
ers,  and  soon  she  saw  the  eagle  feathers  of  her  warrior  as 
he  descended  the  hill  towards  the  village.  Gladly  would 
she  have  gone  to  meet  him  to  welcome  him  home,  but  she 
knew  that  Shining  Iron  was  watching  her  motions,  and  she 
bent  her  steps  homeward.  She  was  quite  sure  that  it  would 
not  be  long  before  he  would  seek  her,  and  then  she  would 
tell  him  what  had  passed,  and  make  arrangements  for  ttoair 
course  of  conduct  for  the  future. 

*  The  head-strap  is  made  of  buffalo  skin.  It  is  from  eight  to  ten,  or  some 
times  twenty-four  feet  long.  The  women  fasten  their  heavy  burdens  to  this 
strap,  which  goes  around  the  forehead ;  the  weight  of  the  burden  falls  upon 
the  head  and  back.  This  occasions  the  figures  of  the  Indian  women  to  stoop, 
since  they  necessarily  lean  forward  in  order  to  preserve  their  balance. 


RED   EARTH;    OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN. 


Fiery  Wind  was  the  nephew  of  Good  Road,  but  he,  like 
the  sons,  was  in  disgrace  with  the  chief,  and,  like  them,  he 
had  vowed  vengeance  against  "  Old  Bets." 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE  gun  is  now  generally  used  among  the  Dahcotahs  as 
a  weapon  of  warfare.  But  those  bands  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Fort  Snelling  considered  it  as  a  necessary  part  of 
their  war  implements,  before  the  distant  bands  were  at  all 
acquainted  with  its  use. 

Some  time  ago,  one  of  the  Mun-da-wa-kan-tons  gave  a 
gun  to  a  Sisse-ton,  who,  proud  of  the  gift,  went  out  imme 
diately  to  use  it.  On  his  return  to  his  village  he  came  up 
with  a  drove  of  buffaloes.  His  first  impulse  was  to  use  his 
bow  and  arrow,  but  a  moment's  thought  reminded  him  of 
the  gift  of  his  friend.  He  loaded  the  gun,  saying  at  the 
same  time  to  it,  "  Now,  the  Dahcotahs  call  you  '  wah-kun' 
(supernatural),  kill  me  the  fattest  cow  in  the  drove."  He 
waited  a  few  moments  to  see  his  orders  executed,  but  the 
gun  was  not  "  wah-kun"  enough  to  fire  by  order  alone. 
Seeing  that  it  did  not  go  off,  the  Sisse-ton  flew  into  a  rage 
and  broke  the  gun  into  pieces.  "  I  suppose,"  said  he  "  that 
if  a  Mun-da-wah-can-ton  had  told  you  to  kill  a  buffalo,  you 
would  have  done  it,  but  you  do  not  regard  what  a  Sisse- 
ton  says."  So  he  threw  the  pieces  of  the  gun  away,  and 
found  his  bow  and  arrows  of  far  more  service. 

J  However  naturally  the  usages  of  warfare  may  come  to 
the  Indians,  they  are  also  made  a  part  of  their  education. 

3 


50  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

The  children  are  taught  that  it  is  wicked  to  murder  with 
out  a  cause ;  but  when  offence  has  been  given,  they  are  in 
duty  bound  to  retaliate/ 

The  day  after  the  return  of  Fiery  Wind,  the  boys  of  the 
village  were  to  attack  a  hornet's  nest.  This  is  one  of  the 
ways  of  training  their  sons  to  warfare.  One  of  the  old 
warriors  had  seen  a  hornet's  nest  in  the  woods,  and  he  re 
turned  to  the  village,  and  with  the  chief  assembled  all  the 
boys  in  the  village.  The  chief  ordered  the  boys  to  take  oft' 
all  their  clothes,  and  gave  them  each  a  gun.  He  then  told 
them  how  brave  their  forefathers  were — that  they  never 
feared  pain  or  danger — and  that  they  must  prove  them 
selves  worthy  sons  of  such  ancestors.  "  One  of  these  days 
you  will  be  men,  and  then  you  will  go  on  war  parties  and 
kill  your  enemies,  and  then  you  will  be  fit  to  join  in  the  dog 
feast.  Be  brave,  and  do  not  fear  the  sting  of  the  hornet, 
for  if  you  do,  you  will  be  cowards  instead  of  warriors,  and 
the  braves  will  call  you  women  and  laugh  at  you." 

This  was  enough  to  animate  the  courage  of  the  boys — 
some  of  them  not  more  than  five  years  old  pushed  ahead  of 
J  ^eir  elder  brothers,  eager  to  show  to  their  fathers,  who 
accompanied  them,  how  little  they  feared  their  enemies,  as 
they  teamed  the  hornets.  And  formidable  enemies  they 
were  too — for  many  of  the  little  fellows  returned  sadly 
stung,  with  swollen  limbs,  and  closed  eyes  ;  but  they  bore 
their  wounds  as  well  as  brave  men  would  have  endured 

0 

their  pain  on  a  battle-field. 

After  leaving  their  village,  they  entered  the  woods  farther 
from  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  guide  who  had  seen  the 
nest  led  the  way,  and  the  miniature  warriors  trod  as  lightly 
as  if  there  was  danger  of  rousing  a  sleeping  foe.  At  last 


RED   EARTH;   OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  51 

the  old  man  pointed  to  the  nest,  and  without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  the  young  Dahcotahs  attacked  it.  Out  flew  the 
hornets  in  every  direction.  Some  of  the  little  boys  cried 
out  with  the  pain  from  the  stings  of  the  hornets  on  their 
unprotected  limbs — but  the  cries  of  Shame  !  shame  !  from 
one  of  the  old  men  soon  recalled  them  to  their  duty,  a^ftd 
they  marched  up  again  not  a  whit  discomfited.  Good  Road 
cheered  them  on.  "  Fight  well,  my  warriors,"  said  he  ;" 
you  will  carry  many  scalps  home,  you  are  brave  men." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  nest  was  quite  destroyed,  and 
then  the  old  men  said  they  must  take  a  list  of  the  killed 
and  wounded.  The  boys  forced  a  loud  laugh  when  they 
replied  that  there  were  no  scalps  taken  by  the  enemy,  but 
they  could  not  deny  that  the  list  of  the  wounded  was  quite 
a  long  one.  Some  of  them  limped,  in  spite  of  their  efforts 
to  walk  upright,  and  one  little  fellow  had  to  be  assisted 
along  by  his  father,  for  both  eyes  were  closed ;  and,  although 
stung  in  every  direction  and  evidently  suffering  agony,  the 
brave  boy  would  not  utter  a  complaint. 

When  they  approached  the  village,  the  young  warriors 
formed  into  Indian  file,  and  entered  as  triumphantly  i.  * 
their  fathers  would  have  done,  had  they  borne  twenty 
Chippeway  scalps  with  them. 

The  mothers  first  applauded  the  bravery  of  their  sons  ; 
and  then  applied  herbs  to  their  swollen  limbs,  and  the 
mimic  war  furnished  a  subject  of  amusement  for  the  vil 
lages  for  the  remainder  of  the  day. 


52  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

IT  would  be  well  for  the'  Dahcotahs  if  they  only  sought 
the  lives  of  their  enemies.  But  they  are  wasting  in  num 
bers  far  more  by  their  internal  dissensions  than  from  other 
causes.  /Murder  is  so  common  among  them,  that  it  is  even 
less  than  a  nine  days'  wonder  ;  all  that  is  thought  necessary 
is  to  bury  the  dead,  and  then  some  relative  must  avenge  his 
quarrelJ 

Red 'Earth  told  her  lover  of  the  threat  of  Shining  Iron, 
and  the  young  man  was  thus  put  on  his  guard.  The  sons 
f  Good  Road's  first  wife  were  also  told  of  the  state  of 
things,  and  they  told  Fiery  Wind  that  they  would  take  up 
his  quarrel,  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  avenge  their  own  and 
their  mother's  wrongs.  It  was  in  the  month  of  April,  or 
as  the  Dahcotahs  say  in  "  the  moon  that  geese  lay,"  that 
Red  Earth  took  her  place  by  the  side  of  her  husband,  thus 
asserting  her  right  to  be  mistress  of  his  wigwam.  While  she 
occupied  herself  with  her  many  duties,  she  never  for  a  mo 
ment  forgot  the  threat  of  Shining  Iron.  But  her  cares  and 
anxieties  for  her  husband's  safety  were  soon  over.  She  had 
not  long  been  a  wife  before  her  enemy  lay  a  corpse  ;  his  life 
was  a  forfeit  to  his  love  for  her,  and  Red  Earth  had  a 
woman's  heart.  Although  she  could  but  rejoice  that  the 
fears  which  had  tormented  her  were  now  unnecessary,  yet 
when  she  remembered  how  devotedly  the  dead  warrior  had 
loved  her,  how  anxiously  he  had  tried  to  please  her,  she 


RED   EARTH;   OR,   MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN.  53 

could  not  but  shed  a  few  tears  of  sorrow  for  his  death.  But 
they  were  soon  wiped  away — not  for  the  world  would  she 
have  had  her  husband  see  them. 

The  oldest  sons  of  Good  Road  were  true  to  their  word — 
and  the  son  of  Old  Bets  was  not  the  only  subject  for  their 
vengeance.  His  sister  was  with  him  at  the  moment  that 
they  chose  to  accomplish  their  purpose  ;  and  when  an  In 
dian  commences  to  shed  blood,  there  is  no  knowing  how 
soon  he  will  be  satisfied.  Shining  Iron  died  instantly, 
but  the  sister's  wounds  were  not  fatal — she  is  slowly  re 
covering. 

It  was  but  yesterday  that  we  visited  the  grave  of  the 
dead  warrior.  On  a  hill  near  the  St.  Peters  his  body  is 
buried.  The  Indians  have  enclosed  the  grave,  and  there  is 
a  "  Wah-kun  stone,"  to  which  they  sacrifice,  at  his  head.  No 
one  reposes  near  him.  Alone  he  lies,  undisturbed  by  aught 
except  the  winds  that  sigh  over  him.  The  first  flowers  of 
Spring  are  blooming  on  the  spot  where  he  played  in  child 
hood,  and  here,  where  he  reposes,  he  often  sat  to  mourn  the 
unkindness  of  Red  Earth,  and  vow  vengeance  on  his  suc 
cessful  rival. 

But  he  is  not  unwatched.  His  spirit  is  ever  near,  and 
perhaps  he  will  again  live  on  earth.*  His  friends  believe 
that  he  may  hold  communion  with  Unk-ta-he, — that  from 
that  God  he  will  learn  the  mysteries  of  the  Earth  and 
Water ;  and  when  he  lives  again  in  another  form,  he  will 
instruct  the  Dahcotahs  in  their  religion,  and  be  a  great 
medicine  man. 


[The  Sioux  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls./  Many  of  the  Indians 
near  Fort  Snelling  say  they  have  lived  before  on  efarth.  The  jugglers  re 
member  many  incidents  that  occurred  during  some  former  residence  on  earth, 
and  they  will  tell  them  to  you  with  all  the  gravity  imaginable. 


54  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

Good  Road  is  quite  reconciled  to  his  sons,  for  he  says  it 
was  a  brave  deed  to  get  rid  of  an  enemy.  In  vain  does 
Old  Bets  ask  for  vengeance  on  the  murderers.  Good  Road 
reminds  her  that  Shining  Iron  had  made  a  threat,  and  it 
was  not  proper  he  should  live ;  and  the  chief  insisted  more 
upon  this,  when  he  added  that  these  children  of  her's  were 
by  a  former  husband,  and  it  was  natural  his  sons  should 
resent  their  father's  preference  for  them. 

So  after  all  Old  Bets  doubts  whether  she,  or  the  Chiefs 
first  wife,  has  got  the  best  of  it ;  and  as  she  dresses  the 
wounds  of  her  daughter,  she  wishes  that  the  Dahcotahs  had 
killed  her  mother  instead  of  adopting  her — lamenting,  too, 
that  she  should  ever  have  attained  to  the  honor  of  being 
Good  Road's  wife. 


WENONA; 


THE    VIRGIN'S    FEAST, 


NEVER  did  the  sun  shine  brighter  than  on  a  cold  day  in 
December,  when  the  Indians  at  "  Little  Crow's"  village 
were  preparing  to  go  on  a  deer  hunt.  The  Mississippi  was 
frozen,  and  the  girls  of  the  village  had  the  day  before  en 
joyed  one  of  their  favorite  amusements — a  ball-play  on  the 
ice.  Those  who  owned  the  bright  cloths  and  calicoes  which 
were  hung  up  before  their  eyes,  as  an  incentive  to  win  the 
game,  were  still  rejoicing  over  their  treasures  ;  while  the 
disappointed  ones  -were  looking  sullen,  and  muttering  of 
partiality  being  shown  to  this  one  because  she  was  beauti 
ful,  and  to  that,  because  she  was  the  sister  of  the  chief. 

"  Look  at  my  head !"  said  Harpstenah ;  "  Wenona 
knew  that  I  was  the  swiftest  runner  in  the  band,  and  as  I 
stooped  to  catch  the  ball  she  struck  me  a  blow  that  stunned 
me,  so  that  I  could  not  run  again." 

But  the  head  was  so  ugly,  and  the  face  too,  that  there 
was  no  pity  felt  for  her;  those  dirty,  wrinkled  features 
bore  witness  to  her  contempt  for  the  cleansing  qualities  of 
water.  Her  uncombed  hair  was  hanging  in  masses  about 
her  ears  and  face,  and  her  countenance  expressed  cruelty 
and  passion.  But  Harpstenah  had  nothing  to  avenge ; 


56  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

when  she  was  young  she  was  passed  by,  as  there  was 
nothing  in  her  face  or  disposition  that  could  attract ;  and 
now  in  the  winter  of  life  she  was  so  ugly  and  so  desolate, 
so  cross  and  so  forlorn,  that  no  one  deemed  her  worthy  even 
of  a  slight.  But  for  all  that,  Harpstenah  could  hate,  and 
with  all  the  intensity  of  her  evil  heart  did  she  hate  We- 
nona,  the  beautiful  sister  of  the  chief. 

Yesterday  had  been  as  bright  as  to-day,  and  Grey  Eagle, 
the  medicine  man,  had  hung  on  a  pole  the  prizes  that  were 
to  be  given  to  the  party  that  succeeded  in  throwing  the  ball 
into  a  space  marked  off. 

The  maidens  of  the  village  were  all  dressed  in  their  gay 
est  clothing,  with  ornaments  of  beads,  bracelets,  rings,  and 
ribbons  in  profusion/  They  cared  not  half  so  much  for  the 
prizes,  as  they  rejoiced  at  the  opportunity  of  displaying  their 
graceful  persons.  The  old  women  were  eager  to  commence 
the  game,  for  they  longed  to  possess  the  cloth  for  their 
leggins,  and  the  calico  for  their  "  okendokendas."  * 

The  women,  young  and  old,  were  divided  into  two  par 
ties  ;  but  as  one  party  threw  the  ball  towards  the  space 
marked  off,  the  others  threw  it  back  again  far  over  their 
heads,  and  then  all  ran  back,  each  party  endeavoring  to 
reach  it  first,  that  they  might  succeed  in  placing  the  ball  in 
the  position  which  was  to  decide  the  game. 

But  the  ball  is  not  thrown  by  the  hand,  each  woman  has 
a  long  stick  with  a  circular  frame  at  the  end  of  it ;  this 
they  call  a  bat  stick,  and,  simple  as  it  looks,  it  requires 
great  skill  to  manage  it. 

*  "  Okendokendas. ;)  This  is  the  Sioux  word  for  calico.  It  is  used  as  the 
name  for  a  kind  of  short  gown,  which  is  worn  by  the  Sioux  women,  made 
generally  of  calico,  sometimes  of  cloth. 


WENONA;   OR,   THE   VIRGIN'S   FEAST.  57 

Wenona  was  the  swiftest  runner  of  one  party,  and 
Harpstenah,  old  and  ugly  as  she  was,  the  best  of  the  other. 
How  excited  they  are  !  the  snow-covered  hills,  majestic  and 
silent,  look  coldly  enough  upon  their  sport ;  but  what  care 
they  ?  the  prize  will  soon  be  won. 

The  old  medicine  man  cheered  them  on.  "  Run  fast, 
Wenona !  take  care  that  Harpstenah  does  not  win  the 
game.  Ho,  Harpstenah  !  if  you  and  your  leggins  are  old, 
you  may  have  the  cloth  yet." 

Now  Wenona's  party  is  getting  on  bravely,  but  the  ball 
has  been  caught  and  thrown  back  by  the  other  party.  But 
at  last  it  is  decided.  In  the  struggle  for  the  ball,  Harp 
stenah  received  a  blow  from  an  old  squaw  as  dismal  looking 
as  herself,  and  Wenona  catches  the  ball  and  throws  it  into 
the  appointed  place.  The  game  is  ended,  and  the  medicine 
man  comes  forward  to  distribute  the  prizes. 

The  warriors  have  looked  on,  admiring  those  who  were 
beautiful  and  graceful,  and  laughing  at  the  ugly  and  awk 
ward. 

But  Wenona  cared  little  for  the  prizes.  She  was  a 
chief's  sister,  and  she  was  young  and  beautiful.  The 
handsomest  presents  were  given  her,  and  she  hardly  looked 
at  the  portion  of  the  prizes  which  fell  to  her  lot. 

Smarting  with  pain  from  the  blow  she  had  received,  (and 
she  spoke  falsely  when  she  said  Wenona  had  struck  her,) 
stung  with  jealousy  at  the  other  party  having  won  the 
game,  Harpstenah  determined  on  revenge.  "  If  I  am  old," 
she  said,  "  I  will  live  long  enough  to  bring  misery  on  her ; 
ugly  as  I  may  be,  I  will  humble  the  proud  beauty.  What 
do  I  eat  ?  the  worthless  heads  of  birds  are  given  to  the  old 
woman  for  whom  nobody  cares,  but  my  food  will  be  to  see 

3* 


58  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

the  eye  of  Wenona  fall  beneath  the  laugh  of  scorn.     I  will 
revenge  the  wrongs  of  my  life  on  her." 

Commend  me  to  a  Dahcotah  woman's  revenge !  Has 
she  been  slighted  in  love  ?  blood  must  be  shed ;  and  if  she 
is  not  able  to  accomplish  the  death  of  her  rival,  her  own  life 
will  probably  pay  the  forfeit.  Has  disgrace  or  insult  been 
heaped  upon  her  ?  a  life  of  eighty  years  is  not  long  enough 
to  bring  down  vengeance  on  the  offender.  So  with  Harp- 
stenah.  Her  life  had  not  been  a  blessing  to  herself — she 
would  make  it  a  curse  to  others. 


CHAPTER  II. 

IN  the  preparations  for  the  deer  hunt,  the  ball-play  has 
been  forgotten.  The  women  are  putting  together  what  will 
be  necessary  for  their  comfort  during  their  absence,  and  the 
men  are  examining  their  guns  and  bows  and  arrows.  The 
young  girls  anticipate  amusement  and  happiness,  for  they 
will  assist  their  lovers  to  bring  in  the  deer  to  the  camp ;  and 
the  jest  and  merry  laugh,  and  the  words  of  love  are  spoken 
too.  The  ball-play  has  been  forgotten  by  all  but  Harp- 
stenah. 

But  it  is  late  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  as  they  do  not  start 
till  the  morning,  something  must  be  done  to  pass  the  long 
evening.  u  If  this  were  full,"  said  a  young  hunter,  kicking 
at  the  same  time  an  empty  keg  that  had  once  contained 
whiskey,  "  if  this  were  full,  we  would  have  a  merry  night 
of  it." 


WENONA;  OR,  THE  VIRGIN'S  FEAST.  59 

"  Yes,"  said  Grey  Iron,  whose  age  seemed  to  have  brought 
him  wisdom,  "the  night  would  be  merry,  but  where  would 
you  be  the  day  after.  Did  you  not,  after  drinking  that 
very  whiskey,  strike  a  white  woman,  for  which  you  were 
taken  to  the  fort  by  the  soldiers,  and  kept  as  a  prisoner  ?" 

The  young  man's  look  of  mortification  at  this  reproof 
did  not  save  him  from  the  contemptuous  sneer  of  his  com 
panions,  for  all  despise  the  Dahcotah  who  has  thus  been 
punished.  No  act  of  bravery  can  wipe  away  his  dis 
grace. 

But  Wenona  sat  pale  and  sad  in  her  brother's  wigwam. 
The  bright  and  happy  looks  of  yesterday  were  all  gone. 
Her  sister-in-law  has  hushed  her  child  to  sleep,  and  she  is 
resting  from  the  fatigues  of  the  day.  Several  old  men, 
friends  of  Little  Crow's  father,  are  sitting  round  the  fire ; 
one  has  fallen  asleep,  while  the  others  talk  of  the  wonderful 
powers  of  their  sacred  medicine. 

"  Why  are  you  sad,  Wenona,"  said  the  chief,  turning 
to  her  ;  "  why  should  the  eyes  of  a  chief's  sister  be  filled 
with  tears,  and  her  looks  bent  on  the  ground  ?" 

"  You  need  not  ask  why  I  arn  not  happy,"  said  Weno 
na  :  "  Red  Cloud  brought  presents  to  you  yesterday ;  he 
laid  them  at  the  door  of  your  wigwam.  He  wants  to  buy 
me,  and  you  have  received  his  gifts ;  why  do  you  not  return 
them  ?  you  know  I  do  not  love  him." 

"  Red  Cloud  is  a  great  warrior,"  replied  the  chief;  "  he 
wears  many  feathers  of  honor ;  you  must  marry  him." 

The  girl  wrapped  herself  in  her  blanket  and  lay  down. 
For  a  time  her  sighs  were  heard — but  at  length  sleep  came 
to  her  relief,  and  her  grief  was  forgotten  in  dreams.  But 
morn  has  come  and  they  are  to  make  an  early  start.  Was 


GO  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

ever  such  confusion  ?  Look  at  that  old  hag  knocking  the 
very  senses  out  of  her  daughter's  head  because  she  is  not 
ready  !  and  the  girl,  in  order  to  avoid  the  blows,  stumbles 
over  an  unfortunate  dog,  who  commences  a  horrible  barking 
and  whining,  tempting  all  the  dogs  of  the  village  to  out- 
bark  and  outwhine  him. 

There  goes  "  White  Buffalo"  with  his  two  wives,  the  first 
wife  with  the  teepee  on  her  back  and  her  child  on  the  top  of  it. 
No  wonder  she  looks  so  cross,  for  the  second  wife  walks 
leisurely  on.  Now  is  her  time,  but  let  her  beware !  for 
White  Buffalo  is  thinking  seriously  of  taking  a  third. 

But  they  are  all  off  at  last.  Mothers  with  children,  and 
corn,  and  teepees,  and  children  with  dogs  on  their  backs. 
They  are  all  gone,  and  the  village  looks  desolate  and  for 
saken. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  party  encamped  about  twenty  miles  from  the  vil 
lage.  The  women  plant  the  poles  of  their  teepees  firmly 
in  the  ground  and  cover  them  with  a  buffalo  skin.  A  fire 
is  soon  made  in  the  centre  and  the  corn  put  on  to  boil. 
Their  bread  is  kneaded  and  put  in  the  ashes  to  bake,  but 
flour  is  not  very  plenty  among  them. 

The  next  day  parties  were  out  in  every  direction  ;  tracks 
of  deer  were  seen  in  the  snow,  and  the  hunters  followed 
them  up.  The  beautiful  animal  flies  in  terror  from  the  death 
which  comes  surer  and  swifter  than  her  own  light  footsteps. 


WENONA;   OR,   THE  VIRGIN'S   FEAST.  61 

The  hunter's  knife  is  soon  upon  her,  and  while  warmth  and 
even  life  are  left,  the  skin  is  drawn  off. 

After  the  fatigues  of  the  day  comes  the  long  and  pleas 
ant  evening.  A  bright  fire  burned  in  the  wigwam  of  the 
chief,  and  many  of  the  Indians  were  smoking  around  it,  but 
Wenona  was  sad,  and  she  took  but  little  part  in  the  laugh 
ter  and  merriment  of  the  others. 

Red  Cloud  boasted  of  his  bravery  and  his  deeds  of  valor ; 
even  the  old  men  listened  to  him  with  respect,  for  they 
knew  that  his  name  was  a  terror  to  his  enemies.  But 
Wenona  turned  from  him !  she  hated  to  hear  the  sound  of 
his  voice. 

The  old  men  talked  of  the  mighty  giant  of  the  Dahco- 
tahs,  he  who  needed  not  to  take  his  gun  to  kill  the  game 
he  wanted ;  the  glance  of  his  eye  would  strike  with  death 
the  deer,  the  buffalo,  or  even  the  bear. 

The  song,  the  jest,  the  legend,  by  turns  occupied  them 
until  they  separated  to  sleep.  But  as  the  warriors  stepped 
into  the  open  air,  why  does  the  light  of  the  moon  fall  upon 
faces  pale  with  terror  ?  "  See  !"  said  the  chief,  "  how  flash 
the  mysterious  lights  !  there  is  danger  near,  some  dreadful 
calamity  is  threatening  us." 

"  We  will  shoot  at  them,"  said  Red  Cloud  ;  "  we  will 
destroy  their  power."  And  the  Indians  discharged  their 
guns  in  quick  succession  towards  the  northern  horizon, 
which  was  brilliantly  illuminated  with  the  Aurora  Bore- 
alis  ;  thus  hoping  to  ward  off  coming  danger. 

The  brother  and  sister  were  left  alone  at  the  door  of  the 
•teepee.  The  stern  warrior's  looks  expressed  superstitious 
terror,  while  the  maiden's  face  was  calm  and  fearless. 
"  Do  you  not  fear  the  power  of  the  woman  who  sits  in  the 


LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 


north,  Wenona?  she  shows  those  flashes  of  light  to  tell  us 
of  coming  evil." 

"What  should  I  fear."  said  Wenona  ;  "  I,  who  will  soon 
join  my  mother,  my  father,  my  sisters,  in  the  land  of  spir 
its  ?  Listen  to  my  words,  my  brother  :  there  are  but  two  of 
us ;  strife  and  disease  have  laid  low  the  brave,  the  good, 
the  beautiful ;  we  are  the  last  of  our  family ;  you  will  soon 
be  alone. 

"  Before  the  leaves  fell  from  the  trees,  as  I  sat  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi,  I  saw  the  fairy  of  the  water.  The  moon 
was  rising,  but  it  was  not  yet  bright  enough  for  me  to  see 
her  figure  distinctly.  But  I  knew  her  voice  ;  I  had  often 
heard  it  in  my  dreams.  *  Wenona,'  she  said,  (and  the 
waves  were  still  that  they  might  hear  her  words),  '  Wenona, 
the  lands  of  the  Dahcotah  are  green  and  beautiful — but 
there  are  fairer  prairies  than  those  on  earth.  In  that  bright 
country  the  forest  trees  are  ever  green,  and  the  waves  of 
the  river  flow  on  unchilled  by  the  breath  of  winter.  You 
will  not  long  be  with  the  children  of  the  earth.  Even  now 
your  sisters  are  calling  you,  and  your  mother  is  telling 
them  that  a  few  more  months  will  bring  you  to  their  side !' 

"The  words  were  true,  my  brother,  but  I  knew  not  that 
your  harshness  would  hasten  my  going.  You  say  that  I 
shall  marry  Red  Cloud  ;  sooner  will  I  plunge  my  knife  into 
my  heart;  sooner  shall  the  waves  of  the  Mississippi  roll 
over  me.  Brother,  you  will  soon  be  alone  !" 

"  Speak  not  such  words,  my  sister,"  said  the  chief;  "  it 
shall  be  as  you  will.  I  have  not  promised  Red  Cloud.  I 
thought  you  would  be  happy  if  you  were  his  wife,  and  you 
shall  not  be  forced  to  marry  him.  But  wrhy  should  you 
think  of  death  ?  you  saw  our  braves  as  they  shot  at  the 


WENONA;   OR,   THE   VIRGIN'S   FEAST.  63 

lights  in  the  north.  They  have  frightened  them  away. 
Look !  they  flash  no  more.  Go  in,  and  sleep,  and  to 
morrow  I  will  tell  Red  Cloud  that  you  love  him  not." 

And  the  cloudless  moon  shone  on  a  happy  face,  and  the 
bright  stars  seemed  more  bright  as  Wenona  gazed  upon 
them ;  but  as  she  turned  to  enter  the  wigwam,  one  star 
was  seen  falling  in  the  heavens,  and  the  light  that  followed 
it  was  lost  in  the  brightness  of  the  others.  And  her  dreams 
were  not  happy,  for  the  fairy  of  the  water  haunted  them. 
"  Even  as  that  star,  Wenona,  thou  shalt  pass  from  all  that 
thou  lovest  on  earth  ;  but  weep  not,  thy  course  is  upward  !" 

The  hunters  were  so  successful  that  they  returned  to 
their  village  soon.  The  friends  of  Wenona  rejoiced  in  her 
happy  looks,  but  to  Harpstenah  they  were  bitterness  and 
gall.  The  angry  countenance  of  Red  Cloud  found  an 
answering  chord  in  her  own  heart. 

"  Ha  !"  said  she  to  him,  as  he  watched  Wenona  and 
her  lover  talking  together,  "  what  has  happened  ?  Did 
you  not  say  you  would  marry  the  chief's  sister — why  then 
are  you  not  with  her  ?  Red  Cloud  is  a  great  warrior,  why 
should  he  be  sad  because  Wenona  loves  him  not  ?  Are 
there  not  maidens  among  the  Dahcotahs  more  beautiful 
than  she  ?  She  never  loved  you ;  her  brother,  too,  has 
treated  you  with  contempt.  Listen  to  my  words,  Red 
Cloud  ;  the  Virgin's  Feast  is  soon  to  be  celebrated,  and  she 
will  enter  the  ring  for  the  last  time.  When  she  comes  for 
ward,  tell  her  she  is  unworthy.  Is  she  not  a  disgrace  to 
the  band  ?  Has  she  not  shamed  a  brave  warrior  ?  Will 
you  not  be  despised  when  another  is  preferred  to  you  ?" 


64  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

The  words  of  the  tempter  are  in  his  ear — madness  and 
hatred  are  in  his  heart. 

"  I  said  I  would  take  her  life,  but  my  revenge  will  be 
deeper.  Wenona  would  die  rather  than  be  disgraced." 
And  as  he  spoke  Harpstenah  turned  to  leave  him,  for  she 
saw  that  the  poison  had  entered  his  soul. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

j  AMONG  the  Dahcotahs,  women  are  not  excluded  from 
joining  in  their  feasts  or  dances  ;  they  dance  the  scalp  dance 
while  the  men  sit  round  and  sing,  and  they  join  in  cele 
brating  many  of  the  customs  of  their  tribe.  But  the  Vir 
gin's  Feast  has  reference  to  the  women  alone  ;  its  object  is 
not  to  celebrate  the  deeds  of  the  warrior,  but  rather  to  put 
to  the  test  the  virtue  of  the  maiden./ 

Notice  was  given  among  the  Indians  that  the  Virgin's 
Feast  was  to  be  celebrated  at  Little  Crow's  village ;  the 
time  was  mentioned,  and  all  who  chose  to  attend  were 
welcome  to  do  so. 

The  feast  was  prepared  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  village. 
The  boiled  corn  and  venison  were  put  in  wooden  bowls,  and 
the  Indians  sat  round,  forming  a  ring.  Those  who  were  to 
partake  of  the  feast  were  dressed  in  their  gayest  apparel ; 
their  long  hair  plaited  and  falling  over  their  shoulders. 
Those  who  are  conscious  of  error  dare  not  approach  the 
feast,  for  it  is  a  part  of  the  ceremony  that  they  shall  be 
exposed  by  any  one  present.  Neither  rank  nor  beauty  must 


WENONA;   OR,   THE   VIRGIN'S   FEAST.  65 

interpose  to  prevent  the  punishment.  Nay,  sometimes  the 
power  of  innocence  and  virtue  itself  is  not  sufficient  to 
guard  the  Dahcotah  maiden  from  disgrace. 

And  was  Wenona  unworthy?  The  white  snow  that 
covered  the  hills  was  not  more  pure  than  she.  But  Red 
Cloud  cared  not  for  that.  She  had  refused  to  be  the  light 
of  his  wigwam,  and  thus  was  he  avenged. 

Wenona  advanced  with  the  maidens  of  the  village. 
Who  can  describe  her  terror  and  dismay  when  Red  Cloud 
advances  and  leads  her  from  the  sacred  ring  ?  To  whom 
shall  the  maiden  turn  for  help  ?  To  her  brother  ?  his  angry 
countenance  speaks  not  of  comfort.  Her  friends  ?  the 
smile  of  scorn  is  on  their  lips.  Her  lover  ?  he  has  left  the 
feast. 

Her  determination  is  soon  made ;  her  form  is  seen  as  she 
flies  to  the  woods.  Death  is  the  refuge  of  the  friendless 
and  the  wronged. 

But  as  night  came  on  the  relatives  of  Wenona  wondered 
that  she  did  not  return.  They  sought  her,  and  they  found 
her  lifeless  body ;  the  knife  was  deep  in  her  heart. 

She  knew  she  was  innocent,  but  what  did  that  avail  her  ? 
She  was  accused  by  a  warrior,  and  who  would  believe  her 
if  she  denied  the  charge  ? 

And  why  condemn  her  that  she  deprived  herself  of  life, 
which  she  deemed  worthless,  when  embittered  by  unmerited 
contempt.  She  knew  not  that  God  has  said,  "  Thou  shall 
do  no  murder."  The  command  had  never  sounded  in  her 
ears. 

She  trusted  to  find  a  home  in  the  House  of  Spirits — she 
may  have  found  a  heaven  in  the  mercy  of  God. 


66  LEGENDS   OP  THE  SIOUX. 

The  fever  of  the  following  summer  spared  neither  age 
nor  youth,  and  Red  Cloud  was  its  first  victim.  As  the 
dying  Harpstenah  saw  his  body  carried  out  to  be  placed 
upon  the  scaffold — "  He  is  dead,"  she  cried,  "  and  Wenona 
was  innocent !  He  hated  her  because  she  slighted  him ;  I 
hated  her  because  she  was  happy.  He  had  his  revenge, 
and  I  mine ;  but  Wenona  was  falsely  accused,  and  I  told 
him  to  do  it !"  and  the  eyes  were  closed — the  voice  was 
hushed  in  death. 

Wenona  was  innocent;  and  when  the  Virgin's  Feast 
shall  be  celebrated  in  her  native  village  again,  how  will  the 
maidens  tremble  as  they  approach  the  sacred  ring  !  Can 
they  forget  the  fate  of  their  beautiful  companion  ? 

And  when  the  breath  of  summer  warms  to  life  the 
prairie  flowers — when  the  long  grass  shall  wave  under  the 
scaffold  where  repose  the  mortal  remains  of  the  chief's 
sister — how  often  will  the  Dahcotah  maidens  draw  near 
to  contrast  the  meanness,  the  treachery,  the  falsehood  of 
Red  Cloud,  with  the  constancy,  devotion,  and  firmness  of 
Wenona  ! 


THE  DAHCOTAH   CONVERT. 


"  TELL  me,"  said,  Hiatu-we-noken-chah,  or  '  woman  of 
the  night,'  "  the  Great  Spirit  whom  you  have  taught  me  to 
fear,  why  has  he  made  the  white  woman  rich  and  happy, 
and  the  Dahcotah  poor  and  miserable  ?"  She  spoke  with 
bitterness  when  she  remembered  the  years  of  sorrow  that 
had  made  up  the  sum  of  her  existence. 

But  how  with  the  missionary's  wife  ?  had  her  life  been 
one  bright  dream — had  her  days  been  always  full  of  glad 
ness — her  nights  quiet  and  free  from  care  ?  Had  she  never 
longed  for  the  time  of  repose,  that  darkness  might  cover  her 
as  with  a  mantle — and  when  *  sleep  forsook  the  wretched,' 
did  she  not  pray  for  the  breaking  of  the  day,  that  she  might 
again  forget  all  in  the  performance  of  the  duties  of  her  sta 
tion  ?  Could  it  be  that  the  Creator  had  balanced  the  hap 
piness  of  one  portion  of  his  children  against  the  wretched 
ness  of  the  rest  ?  Let  her  story  answer. 

Her  home  is  now  among  the  forests  of  the  west.  As  a 
child  she  would  tremble  when  she  heard  of  the  savage 
whose  only  happiness  was  in  shedding  the  blood  of  his  fel 
low  creatures.  The  name  of  an  "  Indian"  when  uttered  by 
her  nurse  would  check  the  boisterous  gayety  of  the  day  or 
the  tedious  restlessness  of  the  night. 


LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


As  she  gathered  flowers  on  the  pleasant  banks  of  the 
Sciota,  would  it  not  have  brought  paleness  to  her  cheek  to 
have  whispered  her  that  not  many  years  would  pass  over 
her,  before  she  would  be  far  away  from  the  scenes  of  her 
youth  ?  * 

And  as  she  uttered  the  marriage  vow,  how  little  did  she 
think  that  soon  would  her  broken  spirit  devote  time,  ener 
gies,  life,  to  the  good  of  others ;  as  an  act  of  duty  and,  but 
for  the  faith  of  the  Christian,  of  despair.  For  several 
years  she  only  wept  with  others  when  they  sorrowed ;  fail- 
children  followed  her  footsteps,  and  it  was  happiness  to  guide 
their  voices,  as  they,  like  the  morning  stars,  sang  together  ; 
or  to  listen  to  their  evening  prayer  as  they  folded  their 
hands  in  childlike  devotion  ere  they  slept. 

And  when  the  father  returned  from  beside  the  bed  of 
death,  where  his  skill  could  no  longer  alleviate  the  parting 
agonies  of  the  sufferer :  how  would  he  hasten  to  look  upon 
the  happy  faces  of  his  children,  in  order  to  forget  the  scene 
he  had  just  witnessed.  But,  man  of  God  as  he  was,  there 
was  not  always  peace  in  his  soul ;  yet  none  could  see  that 
he  had  cause  for  care.  He  was  followed  by  the  blessings 
of  those  who  were  ready  to  perish.  He  essayed  to  make 
the  sinner  repent,  and  to  turn  the  thoughts  of  the  dying  to 
Him  who  suffered  death  on  the  cross. 

But  for  months  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  spake  to  his  heart ; 
he  could  not  forget  the  words — "  Go  to  the  wretched  Dah- 
cotahs,  their  bodies  are  suffering,  and  their  souls,  immortal 
like  thine,  are  perishing.  Soothe  their  temporal  cares,  and 
more,  tell  them  the  triumphs  of  the  Redeemer's  love." 

But  it  was  hard  to  give  up  friencte,  and  all  the  comforts 
with  which  he  was  surrounded  :  to  subject  his  wife  to  the 


THE   DAHCOTAH  CONVERT. 


hardships  of  a  life  in  the  wilderness,  to  deprive  his  children 
of  the  advantages  of  education  and  good  influences,  and 
instead — to  show  them  life  as  it  is  with  those  who  know  not 
God.  But  the  voice  said,  "  Remember  the  Dahcotahs." 
Vainly  did  he  struggle  with  the  conflict  of  duty  against  in 
clination. 

The  time  has  come  when  the  parents  must  weep  for 
themselves.  No  longer  do  the  feet  of  their  children  tread 
among  the  flowers  ;  fever  has  paralyzed  their  strength,  and 
vainly  does  the  mother  call  upon  the  child,  whose  eyes  wan 
der  in  delirium,  who  knows  not  her  voice  from  a  stranger's. 
Nor  does  the  Destroyer  depart  when  one  has  sunk  into  a 
sleep  from  which  there  is  no  awakening  until  the  morn  of 
the  resurrection.  He  claims  another,  and  who  shall  resist 
that  claim ! 

As  the  father  looks  upon  the  still  forms  of  his  children, 
as  he  sees  the  compressed  lips,  the  closed  eyes  of  the  beings 
who  were  but  a  few  days  ago  full  of  life  and  happiness,  the 
iron  enters  his  soul ;  but  as  the  Christian  remembers  who 
has  afflicted  him,  his  spirit  rises  above  his  sorrow.  Nor  is 
there  now  any  obstacle  between  him  and  the  path  of  duty. 
The  one  child  that  remains  must  be  put  in  charge  of  those 
who  will  care  for  her,  and  he  will  go  where  God  directs. 

But  will  the  mother  give  up  the  last  of  her  children  ?  it 
matters  not  now  where  she  lives,  but  she  must  part  with 
husband  or  child  !  Self  has  no  part  in  her  schemes  ;  se 
cure  in  her  trust  in  God  she  yields  up  her  child  to  her 
friend,  and  listens  not  to  the  suggestions  of  those  who 
would  induce  her  to  remain  where  she  would  still  enjoy 
the  comforts  of  life.  Nothing  should  separate  her  from  her 
husband.  "  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee  ;  where  thou  go- 


70  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

est  I  will  go,  where  thou  diest  I  will  die,  and  there  will  I  be 
buried." 

And  as  the  Dahcotah  woman  inquires  of  the  justice  of 
God,  the  faces  of  her  children  rise  up  before  her — first  in 
health,  with  bright  eyes  and  lips  parted  with  smiles,  and  then 
as  she  last  saw  them — their  hands  white  to  transparency, 
the  hue  of  death  upon  their  features ;  the  shrouds,  the  little 
coffins,  the  cold  lips,  as  she  pressed  them  for  the  last  time. 

The  Dahcotah  looked  in  astonishment  at  the  grief  which 
for  a  few  moments  overcame  the  usual  calmness  of  her  kind 
friend ;  and  as  she  wondered  why,  like  her,  she  should  shed 
bitter  tears,  she  heard  herself  thus  addressed — 

"  Do  not  think  that  you  alone  have  been  unhappy.  God 
afflicts  all  his  children.  There  is  not  a  spot  on  the  earth 
which  is  secure  from  sorrow.  Have  I  not  told  you  why  ? 
This  world  is  not  your  home  or  mine.  Soon  will  our  bodies 
lie  down  in  the  earth — and  we  would  forget  this,  if  we  were 
always  happy. 

"  And  you  should  not  complain  though  your  sorrows 
have  been  great.  Do  not  forget  the  crown  of  thorns  which 
pressed  the  brow  of  the  Saviour,  the  cruel  nails  that  pierced 
his  hands  and  feet,  the  desertion  of  his  friends,  his  fear  that 
God  his  Father  had  forsaken  him.  And  remember  that 
after  death  the  power  of  those  who  hated  him  ceased ;  the 
grave  received  but  could  not  keep  his  body.  He  rose  from 
the  dead,  and  went  to  Heaven,  where  he  has  prepared  a 
place  for  all  who  love  him ;  for  me  and  mine,  I  trust,  and 
for  you  too,  if  you  are  careful  to  please  him  by  serving  him 
yourself,  and  by  endeavoring  to  induce  your  friends  to  give 
up  their  foolish  and  wicked  superstitions,  and  to  worship 
the  true  God  who  made  all  things." 


THE  DAHCOTAH  CONVERT.  71 


CHAPTER    II. 

The  Dahcotahs  believe  in  the  existence  of  a  Great  Spirit, 
but  they  have  very  confused  ideas  of  his  attributes.  Those 
who  have  lived  near  the  missionaries,  say  that  the  Great 
Spirit  lived  forever,  but  their  own  minds  would  never  have 
conceived  such  an  idea.  Some  say  that  the  Great  Spirit 
has  a  wife. 

They  say  that  this  being  created  all  things  but  thunder 
and  wild  rice  ;  and  that  he  gave  the  earth  and  all  animals 
to  them,  and  that  their  feasts  and  customs  were  the  laws  by 
which  they  are  to  be  governed.  But  they  do  not  fear  the 
anger  of  this  deity  after  death. 

Thunder  is  said  to  be  a  large  bird  ;  the  name  that  they 
give  to  thunder  is  the  generic  term  for  all  animals  that 
fly.  Near  the  source  of  the  St.  Peters  is  a  place  called 
Thunder-tracks — where  the  footpsrint  of  the  thunder-bird 
are  seen  in  the  rocks,  twenty-five  miles  apart. 

The  Dahcotahs  believe  in  an  evil  spirit  as  well  as  a  good, 
but  they  do  not  consider  these  spirits  as  opposed  to  each 
other  ;  they  do  not  think  that  they  are  tempted  to  do  wrong 
by  this  evil  spirit ;  their  own  hearts  are  bad.  It  would  be 
impossible  to  put  any  limit  to  the  number  of  spirits  in 
whom  the  Dahcotahs  believe  ;  every  object  in  nature  is  full 
of  them.  They  attribute  death  as  much  to  the  power  of 
these  subordinate  spirits  as  to  the  Great  Spirit,  but  most 
frequently  they  suppose  death  to  have  been  occasioned  by 
a  spell  having  been  cast  upon  them  by  some  enemy. 


72  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

The  sun  and  moon  are  worshipped  as  emblems  of  their 
deity. 

Sacrifice  is  a  religous  ceremony  among  them ;  but  no 
missionary  has  yet  been  able  to  find  any  reference  to  the 
one  great  Atonement  made  for  sin ;  none  of  their  customs 
or  traditions  authorize  any  such  connection.  They  sacri 
fice  to  all  the  spirits ;  but  they  have  a  stone,  painted  red, 
which  they  call  Grandfather,  and  on  or  near  this,  they 
place  their  most  valuable  articles,  their  buffalo  robes,  dogs, 
and  even  horses  ;  and  on  one  occasion  a  father  killed  a 
child  as  a  kind  of  sacrifice.  They  frequently  inflict  severe 
bruises  or  cuts  upon  their  bodies,  thinking  thus  to  propitiate 
their  gods. 

The  belief  in  an  evil  spirit  is  said  by  some  not  to  be  a 
part  of  the  religion  of  the  Dahcotahs.  They  perhaps  ob 
tained  this  idea  from  the  whites.  They  have  a  far  greater 
fear  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  especially  those  whom  they 
have  offended,  than  of  Wahkon-tun-kah,  the  Great  Spirit. 

One  of  the  punishments  they  most  dread  is  that  of  the 
body  of  an  animal  entering  theirs  to  make  them  sick.  Some 
of  the  medicine  men,  the  priests,  and  the  doctors  of  the 
Dahcotahs,  seem  to  have  an  idea  of  the  immortality  of  the 
soul  but  intercourse  with  the  whites  may  have  originated 
this.  They  know  nothing  of  the  resurrection,  f* 

They  have  no  custom  among  them  that  indicates  the 
belief  that  man's  heart  should  be  holy.  The  faith  in  spirits, 
dreams,  and  charms,  the  fear  that  some  enemy,  earthly  or 
spiritual,  may  be  secretly  working  their  destruction  by  a 
spell,  is  as  much  a  part  of  their  creed,  as  the  existence  of 
the  Great  Spirit. 


THE   DAHCOTAII   CONVERT.  73 

A  good  dream  will  raise  their  hopes  of  success  in  what 
ever  they  may  be  undertaking  to  the  highest  pitch  ;  a  bad 
one  will  make  them  despair  of  accomplishing  it.  Their  re 
ligion  is  a  superstition,  including  as  few  elements  of  truth 
and  reason  as  perhaps  any  other  of  which  the  particulars  are 
known.  They  worship  they  "  know  not  what,"  and  this 
from  the  lowest  motives. 

When  they  go  out  to  hunt,  or  on  a  war  party,  they  pray 
to  the  Great  Spirit — "  Father,  help  us  to  kill  the  buffalo." 
"  Let  us  soon  see  deer" — or,  "  Great  Spirit  help  us  to  kill 
our  enemies." 

They  have  no  hymns  of  praise  to  their  Deity ;  they  fast 
occasionally  at  the  time  of  their  dances.  When  they 
dance  in  honor  of  the  sun,  they  refrain  from  eating  for  two 
days. 

The  Dahcotahs  do  not  worship  the  work  of  their  hands  ; 
but  they  consider  every  object  that  the  Great  Spirit  has 
made,  from  the  highest  mountain  to  the  smallest  stone,  as 
worthy  of  their  idolatry. 

They  have  a  vague  idea  of  a  future  state ;  many  have 
dreamed  of  it.  Some  of  their  medicine  men  pretend  to 
have  had  revelations  from  bears  and  other  animals ;  and 
they  thus  learned  that  their  future  existence  would  be 
but  a  continuation  of  this.  They  will  go  on  long  hunts 
and  kill  many  buffalo  ;  bright  fires  will  burn  in  their  wig 
wams  as  they  talk  through  the  long  winter's  night  of  the 
traditions  of  their  ancients  ;  their  women  are  to  tan  deer 
skin  for  their  mocassins,  while  their  young  children  learn 
to  be  brave  warriors  by  attacking  and  destroying  wasps'  or 
hornets'  nests ;  they  will  celebrate  the  dog  feast  to  show 
how  brave  they  are,  and  sing  in  triumph  as  they  dance 

4 


74  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

round  the  scalps  of  their  enemies.  Such  is  the  Heaven  of 
the  Dahcotahs  !  Almost  every  Indian  has  the  image  of  an 
animal  or  bird  tattooed  on  his  breast  or  arm,  which  can 
charm  away  an  evil  spirit,  or  prevent  his  enemy  from  bring 
ing  trouble  or  death  upon  him  by  a  secret  shot.  The  power 
of  life  rests  with  mortals,  especially  with  their  medicine 
men ;  they  believe  that  if  an  enemy  be  shooting  secretly  at 
them,  a  spell  or  charm  must  be  put  in  requisition  to  coun 
teract  their  power. 

The  medicine  men  or  women,  who  are  initiated  into  the 
secrets  of  their  wonderful  medicines,  (which  secret  is  as 
sacred  with  them  as  free-masonry  is  to  its  members)  give  the 
feast  which  they  call  the  medicine  feast. 

Their  medicine  men,  who  profess  to  administer  to  the 
affairs  of  soul  and  body  are  nothing  more  than  jugglers, 
and  are  the  worst  men  of  the  tribe :  yet  from  fear  alone 
they  claim  the  entire  respect  of  the  community. 

There  are  numerous  clans  among  the  Dahcotahs  each 
using  a  different  medicine,  and  no  one  knows  what  this 
medicine  is  but  those  who  are  initiated  into  the  mysteries 
of  the  medicine  dance,  whose  celebration  is  attended  with 
the  utmost  ceremony. 

A  Dahcotah  would  die  before  he  would  divulge  the  secret 
of  his  clan.  All  the  different  clans  unite  at  the  great  med 
icine  feast. 

And  from  such  errors  as  these  must  the  Dahcotah  turn 
if  he  would  be  a  Christian  !  And  the  heart  of  the  mission 
ary  would  faint  within  him  at  the  work  which  is  before 
him,  did  he  not  remember  who  has  said  "  LO,  I  am  with  you 
always !" 

And  it  was  long  before  the  Indian  woman  could  giye  up  the 


THE  DAHCOTAH  CONVERT.    •         75 

creed  of  her  nation.  The  marks  of  the  wounds  in  her  face 
and  arms  will  to  the  grave  bear  witness  of  her  belief  in  the 
faith  of  her  fathers,  which  influenced  her  in  youth.  Yet 
the  subduing  of  her  passions,  the  quiet  performance  of  her 
duties,  the  neatness  of  her  person,  and  the  order  of  her 
house,  tell  of  the  influence  of  a  better  faith,  which  sanctifies 
the  sorrows  of  this  life,  and  rejoices  her  with  the  hope  of 
another  and  a  better  state  of  existence. 

But  such  instances  are  rare.  These  people  have  resisted 
as  encroachments  upon  their  rights  the  efforts  that  have 
been  made  for  their  instruction.  Kindness  and  patience, 
however,  have  accomplished  much,  and  during  the  last  year 
they  have,  in  several  instances,  expressed  a  desire  for  the 
aid  and  instructions  of  missionaries.  They  seem  to  wish 
them  to  live  among  them  ;  though  formerly  the  lives  of 
those  who  felt  it  their  duty  to  remain  were  in  constant 
peril. 

They  depend  more,  too,  upon  what  the  ground  yields 
them  for  food,  and  have  sought  for  assistance  in  plough 
ing  it. 

There  are  four  schools  sustained  by  the  Dahcotah  mis 
sion  ;  in  all  there  are  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  chil 
dren  ;  the  average  attendance  about  sixty. 

The  missionaries  feel  that  they  have  accomplished  some 
thing,  and  they  are  encouraged  to  hope  for  still  more.  They 
have  induced  many  of  the  Dahcotahs  to  be  more  temper 
ate  ;  and  although  few,  comparatively,  attend  worship  at 
the  several  stations,  yet  of  those  few  some  exhibit  hopeful 
signs  of  conversion. 

There  are  five  mission  stations  among  the  Dahcotahs  ;  at 
"  Lac  qui  parle,"  on  the  St.  Peter's  river,  in  sight  of  the 


76  ,.  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

beautiful  lake  from  which  the  station  takes  its  name ;  at 
"  Travers  des  Sioux"  about  eighty  miles  from  Fort  Snel- 
ling  ;  at  Xapedun,  Oak-grove,  and  Kapoja,  the  last  three 
being  within  a  few  miles  of  Fort  Snelling. 

There  are  many  who  think  that  the  efforts  of  those 
engaged  in  instructing  the  Dahcotahs  are  thrown  away. 
They  cannot  conceive  why  men  of  education,  talent,  and 
piety,  should  waste  their  time  and  attainments  upon  a  peo 
ple  who  cannot  appreciate  their  efforts.  If  the  missiona 
ries  reasoned  on  worldly  principles,  they  would  doubtless 
think  so  too ;  but  they  devote  the  energies  of  soul  and  body 
to  Him  who  made  them  for  His  own  service. 

They  are  pioneers  in  religion  ;  they  show  the  path  that 
others  will  walk  in  far  more  easily  at  some  future  day ; 
they  undertake  what  others  will  carry  on, — what  God  him 
self  will  accomplish.  They  have  willingly  given  up  the 
advantages  of  this  life,  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  degraded 
Dahcotahs.  They  are  translating  the  Bible  into  Sioux  ; 
many  of  the  books  are  translated,  and  to  their  exertions  it 
is  owing  that  the  praise  of  God  has  been  sung  by  the  chil 
dren  of  the  forest  in  their  own  language. 


CHAPTER    III. 

HOWEVER  absurd  may  be  the  religion  of  the  Dahcotahs, 
they  are  zealous  in  their  devotion  to  it.  Nothing  is  allowed 
to  interfere  with  it.  Are  their  women  planting  corn,  which 
is  to  be  in  a  great  measure  depended  upon  for  food  during 


THE  DAHCOTAH  CONVERT.  77 

the  next  winter?  whatever  be  the  consequences,  they 
stop  to  celebrate  a  dance  or  a  feast,  either  of  which  is  a 
part  of  their  religion.  How  many  Christians  satisfy  their 
consciences  by  devoting  one  day  of  the  week  to  God,  feel 
ing  themselves  thus  justified  in  devoting  the  other  six  en 
tirely  to  the  world !  But  it  is  altogether  different  with  the 
Dahcotahs,  every  act  of  their  life  is  influenced  by  their  re 
ligion,  such  as  it  is. 

/they  believe  they  are  a  great  people,  that  their  country 
is  unrivalled  in  beauty,  their  religion  without  fault/  Many 
of  the  Dahcotahs,  now  living  near  Fort  Snelling,  say 
that  they  have  lived  on  tho  earth  before  in  some  region  far 
distant,  that  they  died,  and  for  a  time  their  spirits  wan 
dered  through  the  world  seeking  the  most  beautiful  and 
delightful  country  to  live  in,  and  that  after  examining  all 
parts  of  the  earth  they  fixed  upon  the  country  of  the  Dah 
cotahs. 

/In  fact,  dreams,  spells  and  superstitious  fears,  constitute 
a  large  part  of  the  belief  of  the  Dahcotahs./  But  of  all  their 
superstitious  notions  the  most  curious  is  the  one  which  oc 
casions  the  dance  called  Ho-saw-kah-u-tap-pe,  or  Fish 
dance,  where  the  fish  is  eaten  raw. 

Some  days  since,  an  Indian  who  lives  at  Shah-co-pee's 
village  dreamed  of  seeing  a  cormorant,  a  bird  which  feeds 
on  fish.  He  was  very  much  alarmed,  and  directed  his  friend 
to  go  out  and  catch  a  fish,  and  to  bring  the  first  one  he 
caught  to  him. 

The  Indian  did  so,  and  the  fish,  which  was  a  large  pike, 
was  painted  with  blue  clay.  Preparations  were  imme 
diately  made  to  celebrate  the  Fish  dance,  in  order  to  ward  oft 
any  danger  of  which  the  dream  might  have  been  the  omen. 


78  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

A  circle  was  formed  of  brush,  on  one  side  of  which  the 
Indians  pitched  a  wigwam.  The  war  implements  were 
then  brought  inside  the  ring,  and  a  pole  stuck  up  in  the 
centre,  with  the  raw  fish,  painted  blue,  hung  upon  it. 

The  men  then  enter  the  ring,  almost  naked ;  their  bodies 
painted  black,  excepting  the  breast  and  arms,  which  are 
varied  in  color  according  to  the  fancy  of  each  individual. 

Inside  the  ring  is  a  bush  for  each  dancer ;  in  each  bush  a 
nest,  made  to  resemble  a  cormorant's  nest ;  and  outside  the 
ring  is  an  Indian  metamorphosed  for  the  occasion  into  a 
wolf — that  is,  he  has  the  skin  of  a  wolf  drawn  over  him, 
and  hoops  fixed  to  his  hands  to  enable  him  to  run  easier 
on  all  fours;  and  in  order  to  sustain  the  character  which  he 
has  assumed,  he  remains  outside,  lurking  about  for  food. 

All  being  ready,  the  medicine  men  inside  the  wigwam 
commence  beating  a  drum  and  singing.  This  is  the  sig 
nal  for  all  the  cormorants  (Indians),  inside  the  ring,  to  com 
mence  quacking  and  dancing  and  using  their  arms  in  imi 
tation  of  wings,  keeping  up  a  continual  flapping.  Thus 
for  some  time  they  dance  up  to  and  around  the  fish — when 
the  bravest  among  them  will  snap  at  the  fish,  and  if  he  have 
good  teeth  will  probably  bite  off  a  piece,  if  not,  he  will  slip 
his  hold  and  flap  off  again. 

Another  will  try  his  luck  at  this  delicious  food,  and  so 
they  continue,  until  they  have  made  a  beginning  in  the 
way  of  eating  the  fish.  Then  each  cormorant  flaps  up 
and  takes  a  bite,  and  then  flaps  off  to  his  nest,  in  which 
the  piece  of  fish  is  concealed,  for  fear  the  wolves  may 
get  it. 

After  a  while,  the  wolf  is  seen  emerging  from  his  retreat, 
painted  so  hideously  as  to  frighten  away  the  Indian  children. 


THE  DAHCOTAH  CONVERT.         79 

The  cormorants  perceive  the  approach  of  the  wolf,  and  a 
general  quacking  and  flapping  takes  place,  each  one  rush 
ing  to  his  nest  to  secure  his  food. 

This  food  each  cormorant  seizes  and  tries  to  swallow, 
flapping  his  wings  and  stretching  out  his  neck  as  a  young 
bird  will  when  fed  by  its  mother. 

After  the  most  strenuous  exertions  they  succeed  in  swal 
lowing  the  raw  fish.  While  this  is  going  on,  the  wolf 
seizes  the  opportunity  to  make  a  snap  at  the  remainder  of 
the  fish,  seizes  it  with  his  teeth,  and  makes  his  way  out  of  the 
ring,  as  fast  as  he  can,  on  all  fours.  The  whole  of  the  fish, 
bones  and  all,  must  be  swallowed ;  not  the  smallest  portion 
of  it  can  be  left,  and  the  fish  must  only  be  touched  by  the 
mouth — never  with  the  hands.  This  dance  is  performed  by 
the  men  alone — their  war  implements  must  be  sacred  from 
the  touch  of  women. 

Such  scenes  are  witnessed  every  day  at  the  Dahcotah 
villages.  The  missionary  sighs  as  he  sees  how  determined  is 
their  belief  in  such  a  religion.  Is  it  not  a  source  of  rejoicing 
to  be  the  means  of  turning  one  fellow-creature  from  a  faith 
like  this  ? 

A  few  years  ago  and  every  Dahcotah  woman  reverenced 
the  fish-dance  as  holy  and  sacred — even  too  sacred  for  her 
to  take  a  part  in  it.  She  believed  the  medicine  women 
could  foretell  future  events  ;  and,  with  an  injustice  hardly  to 
be  accounted  for,  she  would  tell  you  it  was  lawful  to  beat 
a  girl  as  much  as  you  chose,  but  a  sin  to  strike  a  boy ! 

She  gloried  in  dancing  the  scalp  dance — aye,  even  ex 
ulted  at  the  idea  of  taking  the  life  of  an  enemy  herself. 

But  there  are  instances  in  which  these  things  are  all  laid 
aside  beneath  the  light  of  Christianity;  instances  in  which 


80  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

the  poor  Dahcotah  woman  sees  the  folly,  the  wickedness  of 
her  former  faith ;  blesses  God  who  inclined  the  missionary 
to  leave  his  home  and  take  up  his  abode  in  the  country  of 
the  savage;  and  sings  to  the  praise  of  God  in  her  own 
tongue  as  she  sits  by  the  door  of  her  wigwam.  She  smiles 
as  she  tells  you  that  her  "  face  is  dark,  but  that  she  hopes 
her  heart  has  been  changed  ;  and  that  she  will  one  day  sing 
in  heaven,  where  the  voices  of  the  white  people  and  of  the 
converted  Dahcotahs,  will  mingle  in  a  song  of  love  to  Him 
4  who  died  for  the  whole  world.' n 


/"J 


WABASHAW. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WABASHAW,  (or  The  Leaf,)  is  the  name  of  one  of  the 
Dahcotah  Chiefs.  His  village  is  on  the  Mississippi  river, 
1,800  miles  from  its  mouth. 

The  teepees  are  pitched  quite  near  the  shore,  and  the 
many  bluffs  that  rise  behind  them  seem  to  be  their  perpet 
ual  guards. 

The  present  chief  is  about  thirty-five  years  old — as  yet 
he  has  done  not  much  to  give  him  a  reputation  above  the 
Dahcotahs  about  him.  But  his  father  was  a  man  whose 
life  and  character  were  such  as  to  influence  his  people  to  a 
great  degree. 

Wabashaw  the  elder,  (for  the  son  inherits  his  father's 
name,)  is  said  by  the  Dahcotahs  to  have  been  the  first  chief 
in  their  tribe. 

Many  years  ago  the  English  claimed  authority  over  the 
Dahcotahs,  and  an  English  traveller  having  been  murdered 
by  some  Dahcotahs  of  the  band  of  which  Wabashaw  was  a 
warrior,  the  English  claimed  hostages  to  be  given  up  until 
the  murderer  could  be  found. 

The  affairs  of  the  nation  were  settled  then  by  men  who, 
having  more  mind  than  the  others,  naturally  influenced  their 


82  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

inferiors.  Their  bravest  men,  their  war  chief  too,  no  doubt 
exercised  a  control  over  the  rest. 

Wabashaw  was  one  of  the  hostages  given  up  in  conse 
quence  of  the  murder,  and  the  Governor  of  Canada  required 
that  these  Dahcotahs  should  leave  the  forests  of  the  west, 
and  remain  for  a  time  as  prisoners  in  Canada.  Little  as  is 
the  regard  for  the  feelings  of  the  savage  now,  there  was  still 
less  then. 

Wabashaw  often  spoke  of  the  ill  treatment  he  received 
on  his  journey.  It  was  bad  enough  to  be  a  prisoner,  and 
to  be  leaving  home ;  it  was  far  worse  to  be  struck,  for  the 
amusement  of  idle  men  and  children — to  have  the  war 
eagle's  feather  rudely  torn  from  his  head  to  be  trampled 
Upon — to  have  the  ornaments,  even  the  pipes  of  the  nation, 
taken  away,  and  destroyed  before  his  eyes. 

But  such  insults  often  occurred  during  their  journey, 
and  the  prisoners  were  even  fettered  when  at  last  they 
reached  Quebec. 

Here  for  a  long  time  they  sighed  to  breathe  the  invigo 
rating  air  of  the  prairies  ;  to  chase  the  buffalo  ;  to  celebrate 
the  war  dance.  But  when  should  they  join  again  in  the 
ceremonies  of  their  tribe  ?  When  ?  Alas !  they  could 
not  even  ask  their  jailer  when ;  or  if  they  had,  he  would 
only  have  laughed  at  the  strange  dialect  that  he  could  not 
comprehend.  But  the  Dahcotahs  bore  with  patience  their 
unmerited  confinement,  and  Wabashaw  excelled  them  all. 
His  eye  was  not  as  bright  as  when  he  left  home,  and  there 
was  an  unusual  weakness  in  his  limbs — but  never  should 
his  enemies  know  that  he  suffered.  And  when  those  high 
in  authority  visited  the  prisoners,  the  haughty  dignity  of 


WA  BASHAW.  83 


Wabashaw  made  them  feel  that  the  Dahcotah  warrior  was 
a  man  to  be  respected. 

But  freedom  came  at  last.  The  murderers  were  given 
up ;  and  an  interpreter  in  the  prison  told  Wabashaw  that 
he  was  no  longer  a  prisoner ;  that  he  would  soon  again 
see  the  Father  of  many  waters ;  and  that  more,  he  had 
been  made  by  the  English  a  chief,  the  first  chief  of  the 
Daheotahs. 

It  was  well  nigh  too  late  for  Wabashaw.  His  limbs 
were  thin,  and  his  strength  had  failed  for  want  of  the  fresh 
air  of  his  native  hills. 

Little  did  the  prisoners  care  to  look  around  as  they  re 
traced  their  steps.  They  knew  they  were  going  home. 
But  when  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  again  shone  before 
them,  when  the  well-known  bluffs  met  their  eager  gaze ; 
when  the  bending  river  gave  to  view  their  native  village, 
then,  indeed,  did  the  new-made  chief  cast  around  him  the 
"  quiet  of  a  loving  eye."  Then,  too,  did  he  realize  what  he 
had  suffered. 

He  strained  his  sight — for  perhaps  his  wife  might  have 
wearied  of  waiting  for  him — perhaps  she  had  gone  to  the 
Land  of  spirits,  hoping  to  meet  him  there. 

His  children  too — the  young  warriors,  who  were  wont  to 
follow  him  and  listen  to  his  voice,  would  they  welcome  him 
home? 

As  he  approached  the  village  a  cloud  had  come  between 
him  and  the  sun.  He  could  see  many  upon  the  shore,  but 
who  were  they  ?  The  canoe  swept  over  the  waters,  keep 
ing  time  to  the  thoughts  of  those  who  were  wanderers  no 
longer. 

As  they  neared  the  shore,  the  cloud  passed  away  and  the 


84  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

brightness  of  the  setting  sun  revealed  the  faces  of  their 
friends  ;  their  cries  of  joy  rent  the  air — to  the  husband,  the 
son,  the  brother,  they  spoke  a  welcome  home  ! 

Wabashaw,  by  the  command  of  the  English  Governor, 
was  acknowledged  by  the  Dahcotahs  their  first  chief  j  and 
his  influence  was  unbounded.  Every  band  has  a  chief, 
and  the  honor  descends  from  father  to  son ;  but  there  has 
never  been  one  more  honored  and  respected  than  Wa- 
bashaw. 


CHAPTER   II. 

WABASHAW'S  village  is  sometimes  called  Keusca.  This 
word  signifies  to  break  through,  or  set  aside ;  it  was  given 
in  consequence  of  an  incident  which  occurred  some  time 
ago,  in  the  village. 

"  Sacred  Wind"  was  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  power 
ful  families  among  the  Dahcotahs ;  for  although  a  chief  lives 
as  the  meanest  of  his  band,  still  there  is  a  great  difference 
among  the  families.  The  number  of  a  family  constitutes 
its  importance ;  where  a  family  is  small,  a  member  of  it  can 
be  injured  with  little  fear  of  retaliation;  but  in  a  large 
family  there  are  sure  to  be  found  some  who  will  not  let  an 
insult  pass  without  revenge.  Sacred  Wind's  father  was  liv 
ing;  a  stalwart  old  warrior,  slightly  bent  with  the  weight 
of  years.  Though  his  face  was  literally  seamed  with 
wrinkles,  he  could  endure  fatigue,  or  face  danger,  with  the 
youngest  and  hardiest  of  the  band. 


WABASHAW.  85 


Her  mother,  a  fearfully  ugly  old  creature,  still  mended 
mocassins  and  scolded ;  bidding  fair  to  keep  up  both  trades 
for  years  to  come.  Then  there  were  tall  brothers,  braving 
hardships  and  danger,  as  if  a  Dahcotah  was  only  bora  to  be 
scalped,  or  to  scalp;  uncles,  cousins,  too,  there  were,  in 
abundance,  so  that  Sacred  Wind  did  belong  to  a  powerful 
family. 

Now,  among  the  Dahcotahs,  a  cousin  is  looked  upon  as  a 
brother ;  a  girl  would  as  soon  think  of  marrying  her  grand 
father,  as  a  cousin.  I  mean  an  ordinary  girl,  but  Sacred 
Wind  was  not  of  that  stamp;  she  was  destined  to  be  a 
heroine.  She  had  many  lovers,  who  wore  themselves  out 
playing  the  flute,  to  as  little  purpose  as  they  braided  their 
hair,  and  painted  their  faces.  Sacred  Wind  did  not  love 
one  of  them. 

Her  mother,  was  always  trying  to  induce  her  to  accept 
some  one  of  her  lovers,  urging  the  advantages  of  each 
match ;  but  it  would  not  do.  The  girl  was  eighteen  years 
old,  and  not  yet  a  wife;  though  most  of  the  Dahcotah 
women  are  mothers  long  before  that. 

Her  friends  could  not  imagine  why  she  did  not  marry. 
They  were  wearied  with  arguing  with  her ;  but  not  one  of 
them  ever  suspected  the  cause  of  her  seeming  coldness  of 
heart. 

Her  grandmother  was  particularly  officious.  She  could 
not  do  as  Sacred  Wind  wished  her, — attend  to  her  own 
affairs,  for  she  had  none  to  attend  to ;  and  grandmothers, 
among  the  Sioux,  are  as  loving  and  devoted  as  they  are 
among  white  people ;  consequently,  the  old  lady  beset  the 
unfortunate  girl,  day  and  night,  about  her  obstinacy. 

"  Why  are  you  not  now  the  mother  of  warriors,"  she  said, 


86  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

"  and  besides,  who  will  kill  game  for  you  when  you  are  old  ? 
The  "Bear,"  has  been  to  the  traders  ;  he  has  bought  many 
things,  which  he  offers  your  parents  for  you ;  marry  him 
and  then  you  will  make  your  old  grandmother  happy." 

"  I  will  kill  myself,"  she  replied,  "  if  you  ask  me  to 
marry  the  Bear.  Have  you  forgotten  the  Maiden's  rock  ? 
There  are  more  high  rocks  than  one  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  my  heart  is  as  strong  as  Wenona's.  If  you 
torment  me  so,  to  marry  the  Bear,  I  will  do  as  she  did — in 
the  house  of  spirits  I  shall  have  no  more  trouble." 

This  threat  silenced  the  grandmother  for  the  time.  But 
a  young  girl  who  had  been  sitting  with  them,  and  listening 
to  the  conversation,  rose  to  go  out ;  and  as  she  passed  Sacred 
Wind,  she  whispered  in  her  ear,  "  Tell  her  why  you  will 
not  marry  the  Bear ;  tell  her  that  Sacred  Wind  loves  her 
cousin ;  and  that  last  night  she  promised  him  she  never 
would  marry  any  one  but  him." 

Had  she  been  struck  to  the  earth  she  could  not  have  been 
paler.  She  thought  her  secret  was  hid  in  her  own  heart.  She 
had  tried  to  cease  thinking  of  "  The  Shield  ;"  keeping  away 
from  him,  dreading  to  find  true  what  she  only  suspected. 
She  did  not  dare  acknowledge  even  to  herself  that  she  loved 
a  cousin. 

But  when  the  Shield  gave  her  his  handsomest  trinkets  : 
when  he  followed  her  when  she  left  her  laughing  and  noisy 
companions  to  sit  beside  the  still  waters — when  he  told  her 
that  she  was  the  most  beautiful  girl  among  the  Dahcotahs — 
when  he  whispered  her  that  he  loved  her  dearly  ;  and  would 
marry  her  in  spite  of  mothers,  grandmothers,  customs  and 
religion  too — then  she  found  that  her  cousin  was  dearer  to 


WABASHAW.  87 


her  than  all  the  world — that  she  would  gladly  die  with 
him — she  could  never  live  without  him. 

But  still,  she  would  not  promise  to  marry  him.  What 
would  her  friends  say  ?  and  the  spirits  ofi»  the  dead  would 
torment  her,  for  infringing  upon  the  sacred  customs  of  her 
tribe.  The  Shield  used  many  arguments,  but  all  in  vain. 
She  told  him  she  was  afraid  to  marry  him,  but  that  she 
would  never  marry  any  one  else.  Sooner  should  the  waves 
cease  to  beat  against  the  shores  of  the  spirit  lakes,  than  she 
forget  to  think  of  him. 

But  this  did  not  satisfy  her  cousin.  He  was  determined 
she  should  be  his  wife ;  he  trusted  to  time  and  his  irresisti 
ble  person  to  overcome  her  fears. 

The  Shield's  name  was  given  to  him  by  his  father's  friends. 
Shields  were  formerly  used  by  the  Sioux  ;  and  the  E yank- 
tons  and  Sissetons  still  use  them.  They  are  made  of  buf 
falo  skin,  of  a  circular  form ;  and  are  used  as  a  protection 
against  the  arrows  of  their  enemies. 

u  You  need  not  fear  your  family,  Sacred  Wind,"  said  her 
cousin,  "  nor  the  medicine  men,  nor  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 
We  will  go  to  one  of  the  villages,  and  when  we  are  mar 
ried,  we  will  come  back.  Let  them  be  angry,  I  will  stand 
between  you  and  them,  even  as  my  father's  shield  did  be 
tween  him  and  the  foe  that  sought  his  life." 

But  she  was  firm,  and  promised  nothing  more  than  that 
she  would  not  marry  the  Bear,  or  any  one  else ;  and  they 
returned  to  her  father's  teepee,  little  thinking  that  any  one 
had  overheard  their  conversation.  But  the  "  Swan"  had 
heard  every  word  of  it. 

She  loved  the  Shield,  and  she  had  seen  him  follow  his 
cousin.  After  hearing  enough  to  know  that  her  case  was  a 


88  LEGENDS  OP  THE   SIOUX. 

hopeless  one,  she  made  up  her  mind  to  make  Sacred  Wind 
pay  dearly  for  the  love  which  she  herself  could  not  obtain. 

She  did  not  at  once  tell  the  news.  She  wanted  to 
amuse  herself  with  her  victim  before  she  destroyed  her ; 
and  she  had  hardly  yet  made  up  her  mind  as  to  the  way 
which  she  would  take  to  inform  the  family  of  Sacred  Wind 
of  the  secret  she  had  found  out. 

But  she  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  whispering  to 
Sacred  Wind  her  knowledge  of  the  true  reason  why  she 
would  not  marry  the  Bear.  This  was  the  first  blow,  and 
it  struck  to  the  heart ;  it  made  a  wound  which  was  long 
kept  open  by  the  watchful  eye  of  jealousy. 

The  grandmother,  however,  did  not  hear  the  remark ;  if 
she  had  she  would  not  have  sat  still  smoking — not  she  !  she 
would  have  trembled  with  rage  that  a  Dahcotah  maiden, 
and  her  grandchild,  should  be  guilty  of  the  enormous  crime 
of  loving  a  cousin.  An  eruption  of  Vesuvius  would  have 
given  but  a  faint  idea  of  her  fury. 

Most  fortunately  for  herself,  the  venerable  old  medicine 
woman  died  a  few  days  after.  Had  she  lived  to  know  of 
the  fatal  passion  of  her  granddaughter,  she  would  have 
longed  to  seize  the  thunderbolts  of  Jupiter  (if  she  had  been 
aware  of  their  existence)  to  hurl  at  the  offenders  ;  or  like 
Niobe,  have  wept  herself  to  stone. 

Indeed  the  cause  of  her  death  showed  that  she  could  not 
bear  contradiction. 

There  was  a  war  party  formed  to  attack  the  Chippeways, 
and  the  "  Eagle  that  Screams  as  she  Flies,"  (for  that  was 
the  name  of  Sacred  Wind's  grandmother)  wanted  to  go 
along. 

She  wished  to  mutilate  the  bodies  after  they  were  scalped. 


WABASHAW.  89 


Yes,  though  near  ninety  years  old,  she  would  go  through 
all  the  fatigues  of  a  march  of  three  hundred  miles,  and  think 
it  nothing,  if  she  could  be  repaid  by  tearing  the  heart  from 
one  Chippeway  child. 

There  were,  however,  two  old  squaws  who  had  applied 
first,  and  the  Screaming  Eagle  was  rejected. 

There  were  no  bounds  to  her  passion.  She  attempted  to 
hang  herself  and  was  cut  down ;  she  made  the  village  re 
sound  with  her  lamentations ;  she.  called  upon  all  the  spirits 
of  the  lakes,  rivers,  and  prairies,  to  torment  the  war  party ; 
nothing  would  pacify  her.  Two  days  after  the  war  party 
left,  the  Eagle  that  Screams  as  she  Flies  expired,  in  a  fit  of 
rage  ! 

When  the  war-party  returned,  the  Shield  was  the  ob 
served  of  all  observers ;  he  had  taken  two  scalps. 

Sacred  "Wind  sighed  to  think  he  was  her  cousin.  How 
could  she  help  loving  the  warrior  who  had  returned  the 
bravest  in  the  battle  ? 

The  Swan  saw  that  she  loved  in  vain.  She  knew  that 
she  loved  the  Shield  more  in  absence  ;  why  then  hope  that 
he  would  forget  Sacred  Wind  when  he  saw  her  no  more  ? 

When  she  saw  him  enter  the  village,  her  heart  beat  fast 
with  emotion ;  she  pressed  her  hand  upon  it,  but  could  not 
still  its  tumult.  "He  has  come,"  she  said  to  herself,  "but 
will  his  eye  seek  mine  ?  will  he  tell  me  that  the  time  has 
been  long  since  he  saw  the  woman  he  loved  ?" 

She  follows  his  footsteps — she  watches  his  every  glance, 
as  he  meets  his  relations.  Alas  !  for  the  Swan,  the  wounded 
bird  feels  not  so  acutely  the  arrow  that  pierces,  as  she 
that  look  of  recognition  between  the  cousins ! 

But  the  unhappy  girl  was  roused  from  a  sense  of  her 


90  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

griefs,  to  a  recollection  of  her  wrongs.  With  all  the  im 
petuosity  of  a  loving  heart,  she  thought  she  had  a  right  to 
the  affections  of  the  Shield.  As  the  water  reflected  her 
features,  so  should  his  heart  give  back  the  devoted  love  of 
hers. 

But  while  she  lived,  she  was  determined  to  bring  sorrow 
upon  her  rival ;  she  would  not  "  sing  in  dying."  That  very 
evening  did  she  repeat  to  the  family  of  Sacred  Wind  the 
conversation  she  had  overheard,  adding  that  the  love  of  the 
cousins  was  the  true  cause  of  Sacred  Wind's  refusing  to 
marry. 

Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  the  consequent  sufferings 
of  Sacred  Wind.  She  was  scolded  and  watched,  shamed, 
and  even  beaten.  The  medicine  men  threatened  her  with 
all  their  powers ;  no  punishment  was  severe  enough  for  the 
Dahcotah  who  would  thus  transgress  the  laws  of  their 
nation. 

The  Shield  was  proof  against  the  machinations  of  his 
enemies,  for  he  was  a  medicine  man,  and  could  counteract 
all  the  spells  that  were  exerted  against  him.  Sacred  Wind 
bore  everything  in  patience  but  the  sight  of  the  Bear.  She 
had  been  bought  and  sold,  over  and  over  again ;  and  the 
fear  of  her  killing  herself  was  the  only  reason  why  her 
friends  did  not  force  her  to  marry. 

One  evening  she  was  missing,  and  the  cries  of  her  mother 
broke  upon  the  silence  of  night ;  canoes  were  flying  across 
the  water ;  friends  were  wandering  in  the  woods,  all  seeking 
the  body  of  the  girl. 

But  she  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  river,  or  in  the  woods. 
Sacred  Wind  was  not  dead,  she  was  only  married. 

She  was  safe  in  the  next  village,  telling  the  Shield  how 


WABASHAW.  91 


much  she  loved  him,  and  how  cordially  she  hated  the  Bear; 
and  although  she  trembled  when  she  spoke  of  the  medicine 
men,  her  husband  only  laughed  at  her  fears,  telling  her,  that 
now  that  she  was  his  wife,  she  need  fear  nothing. 

But  where  was  the  Swan  ?  Her  friends  were  assisting 
in  the  search  for  Sacred  Wind.  The  father  had  forgotten 
his  child,  the  brother  his  sister.  And  the  mother,  who 
would  have  first  missed  her,  had  gone  long  ago,  to  the  land 
of  spirits. 

The  Swan  had  known  of  the  flight  of  the  lovers — she 
watched  them  as  their  canoe  passed  away,  until  it  became 
a  speck  in  the  distance,  and  in  another  moment  the  waters 
closed  over  her. 

Thus  were  strangely  blended  marriage  and  death.  The 
Swan  feared  not  to  take  her  own  life.  Sacred  Wind,  with 
a  nobler  courage,  a  more  devoted  love,  broke  through  the 
customs  of  her  nation,  laid  aside  the  superstitions  of  the 
tribe,  and  has  thus  identified  her  courage  with  the  name  of 
her  native  village. 


"THE  DAHCOTAH   BRIDE." 


THE  valley  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  presents  many  at 
tractions  to  the  reflecting  mind,  apart  from  the  admiration 
excited  by  its  natural  beauty.  It  is  at  once  an  old  country 
and  a  new — the  home  of  a  people  who  are  rapidly  passing 
away — and  of  a  nation  whose  strength  is  ever  advancing. 
The  white  man  treads  upon  the  footsteps  of  the  Dahcotah — 
the  war  dance  of  the  warrior  gives  place  to  the  march  of 
civilization — and  the  saw-mill  is  heard  where  but  a  few 
years  ago  were  sung  the  deeds  of  the  Dahcotah  braves. 

Years  ago,  the  Dahcotah  hunted  where  the  Mississippi 
takes  its  rise — the  tribe  claiming  the  country  as  far  south 
as  St.  Louis.  But  difficulties  with  the  neighboring  tribes 
have  diminished  their  numbers  and  driven  them  farther 
north  and  west ;  the  white  people  have  needed  their  lands, 
and  their  course  is  onward.  How  will  it  end  ?  Will  this 
powerful  tribe  cease  to  be  a  nation  on  the  earth  ?  Will 
their  mysterious  origin  never  be  ascertained  ?  And  must 
their  religion  and  superstitions,  their  customs  and  feasts 
pass  away  from  memory  as  if  they  had  never  been  ? 

Who  can  look  upon  them  without  interest  ?  hardly  the 
philosopher — surely  not  the  Christian.  The  image  of  God 
is  defaced  in  the  hearts  of  the  savage.  Cain-like  does  the 


THE   DAHCOTAH  BRIDE.  93 

child  of  the  forest  put  forth  his  hand  and  stain  it  with  a 
brother's  blood.  But  are  there  no  deeds  of  darkness  done  in 
our  own  favored  land  ? 

But  the  country  of  the  Dahcotah, — let  it  be  new  to  those 
who  fly  at  the  beckon  of  gain — who  would  speculate  in  the 
blood  of  their  fellow-creatures,  who  for  gold  would,  aye  do, 
sell  their  own  souls, — it  is  an  old  country  to  me.  What 
say  the  boundless  prairies?  how  many  generations  have 
roamed  over  them  ?  when  did  the  buffalo  first  yield  to  the 
arrow  of  the  hunter  ?  And  look  at  the  worn  bases  of  the 
rocks  that  are  washed  by  the  Father  of  waters.  Hear  the 
Dahcotah  maiden  as  she  tells  of  the  lover's  leap — and  the 
warrior  as  he  boasts  of  the  victories  of  his  forefathers  over 
his  enemies,  long,  long  before  the  hated  white  man  had  in 
truded  upon  their  lands,  or  taught  them  the  fatal  secret  of 
intoxicating  drink. 

The  Dahcotahs  feel  their  own  weakness — they  know 
they  cannot  contend  with  the  power  of  the  white  man. 
Yet  there  are  times  when  the  passion  and  vehemence  of 
the  warriors  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Snelling  can  hardly 
be  brought  to  yield  to  the  necessity  of  control ;  and  were 
there  a  possibility  of  success,  how  soon  would  the  pipe  of 
peace  be  thrown  aside,  and  the  yell  and  whoop  of  war  be 
heard  instead !  And  who  would  blame  them  ?  Has  not  the 
blood  of  our  bravest  and  best  been  poured  out  like  water 
for  a  small  portion  of  a  country — when  the  whole  could 
never  make  up  for  the  loss  sustained  by  one  desolate  widow 
or  fatherless  child  ? 

The  sky  was  without  a  cloud  when  the  sun  rose  on  the 
Mississippi.  The  morning  mists  passed  slowly  away  as 
if  they  loved  to  linger  round  the  hills.  Pilot  Knob  rose 


94  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

above  them,  proud  to  be  the  burial  place  of  her  warrior 
children,  while  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Mine  Soto*  the 
frowning  walls  of  Fort  Snelling,  told  of  the  power  of  their 
enemies.  Not  a  breath  disturbed  the  repose  of  nature,  till 
the  voice  of  the  song  birds  rose  in  harmony  singing  the 
praise  of  the  Creator. 

But  a  few  hours  have  passed  away,  and  how  changed 
the  scene.  Numbers  of  canoes  are  seen  rapidly  passing  over 
the  waters,  and  the  angry  savages  that  spring  from  them 
as  hastily  ascending  the  hill.  From  the  gates  of  the  fort, 
hundreds  of  Indians  are  seen  collecting  from  every  direc 
tion,  and  all  approaching  the  house  of  the  interpreter.  We 
will  follow  them. 

Few  have  witnessed  so  wild  a  scene.  The  house  of  the 
interpreter  employed  by  government  is  near  the  fort,  and 
all  around  it  were  assembled  the  excited  Indians.  In  front 
of  the  house  is  a  piazza,  and  on  it  lay  the  body  of  a  young 
Dahcotah  ;  his  black  hair  plaited,  and  falling  over  his  swar 
thy  face.  The  closed  eye  and  compressed  lips  proclaimed 
the  presence  of  death.  Life  had  but  recently  yielded  to  the 
sway  of  the  stern  conqueror.  A  few  hours  ago  Beloved 
Hail  had  eaten  and  drank  on  the  very  spot  where  his  body 
now  reposed. 

Bending  over  his  head  is  his  wife ;  tears  fall  like  rain 
from  her  eyes ;  and  as  grief  has  again  overcome  her  efforts 
at  composure,  see  how  she  plunges  her  knife  into  her  arm : 
and  as  the  warm  blood  flows  from  the  wound  calls  upon  the 
husband  of  her  youth  ! 

"  My  son !   my  son !  bursts  from  the  lips  of  his  aged 

*  Mine  Soto,  or  Whitish  Water,  the  name  that  the  Sioux  give  to  the  St. 
Peter's  River.  The  mud  or  clay  in  the  water  has  a  whitish,  look. 


THE   DAHCOTAH  BRIDE.  95 


mother,  who  weeps  at  his  feet;  while  her  bleeding  limbs 
bear  witness  to  the  wounds  which  she  had  inflicted  upon 
herself  in  the  agony  of  her  soul.  Nor  are  these  the  only 
mourners.  A  crowd  of  friends  are  weeping  round  his  body. 
But  the  mother  has  turned  to  the  warriors  as  they  press 
through  the  crowd  ;  tears  enough  have  been  shed,  it  is  time 
to  think  of  revenge.  "  Look  at  your  friend,"  she  says, 
"  look  how  heavily  lies  the  strong  arm,  and  see,  he  is  still, 
though  his  wife  and  aged  mother  call  upon  him.  Who  has 
done  this  ?  who  has  killed  the  brave  warrior  ?  bring  me  the 
murderer,  that  I  may  cut  him  in  pieces." 

It  needed  not  to  call  upon  the  warriors  who  stood  around. 
They  were  excited  enough.  Bad  Hail  stood  near,  his  eyes 
bloodshot  with  rage,  his  lip  quivering,  and  every  trembling 
limb  telling  of  the  tempest  within.  Shah  co-pee,  the  orator 
of  the  Dahcotahs,  and  "  The  Nest,"  their  most  famous 
hunter  ;  the  tall  form  of  the  aged  chief  "  Man  in  the  cloud" 
leaned  against  the  railing,  his  sober  countenance  strangely 
contrasting  with  the  fiend-like  look  of  his  wife ;  Grey  Iron 
and  Little  Hill,  with  brave  after  brave,  all  crying  vengeance 
to  the  foe,  death  to  the  Chippeway ! 


CHAPTER    II. 


BUT  yesterday  the  Dahcotahs  and  Chippeways,  foes  from 
time  immemorial,  feasted  and  danced  together,  for  there 
was  peace  between  them.  They  had  promised  to  bury  the 
hatchet;  the  Chippeways  danced  near  the  fort,  and  the 


96  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

Dahcotahs  presented  them  with  blankets  and  pipes,  guns 
and  powder,  and  all  that  the  savage  deems  valuable.  After 
wards,  the  Dahcotahs  danced,  and  the  generous  Chippeways 
exceeded  them  in  the  number  and  value  of  their  gifts.  As 
evening  approached,  the  bands  mingled  their  amusements — 
together  they  contended  in  the  foot-race,  or,  stretching 
themselves  upon  the  grass,  played  at  checkers. 

The  Chippeways  had  paid  their  annual  visit  of  friend 
ship  at  Fort  Snelling,  and,  having  spent  their  time  happily, 
they  were  about  to  return  to  their  homes.  Their  wise  men 
said  they  rejoiced  that  nothing  had  occurred  to  disturb  the 
harmony  of  the  two  tribes.  But  their  vicinity  to  the  Fort 
prevented  any  outbreak  ;  had  there  been  no  such  restraint 
upon  their  actions,  each  would  have  sought  the  life  of  his 
deadly  foe. 

"Hole  in  the  Day"  was  the  chief  of  the  Chippeways. 
He  owed  his  station  to  his  own  merit ;  his  bravery  and  firm 
ness  had  won  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  tribe  when 
he  was  but  a  warrior,  and  they  exalted  him  to  the  honor  of 
being  their  chief.  Deeds  of  blood  marked  his  course,  yet 
were  his  manners  gentle  and  his  voice  low.  There  was  a 
dignity  and  a  courtesy  about  his  every  action  that  would 
have  wrell  befitted  a  courtier. 

He  watched  with  interest  the  trials  of  strength  between 
the  young  men  of  his  own  tribe  and  the  Dahcotahs.  When 
the  latter  celebrated  one  of  their  national  feasts,  when  they 
ate  the  heart  of  the  dog  while  it  was  warm  with  life,  just  torn 
from  the  animal,  with  what  contempt  did  he  gaze  upon  them ! 

The  amusements  of  the  dog  feast,  or  dance,  have  closed, 
and  the  Chippeway  chief  has  signified  to  his  warriors  that 
they  were  to  return  home  on  the  following  day.  He  ex- 


THE   DAHCOTAH   BRIDE.  97 

pressed  a  wish  to  see  several  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Dahcotahs, 
and  a  meeting  having  been  obtained,  he  thus  addressed 
them — 

"  Warriors!  it  has  been  the  wish  of  our  great  father 
that  we  should  be  friends ;  blood  enough  has  been  shed  on 
both  sides.  But  even  if  we  preferred  to  continue  at  war, 
we  must  do  as  our  great  father  says.  The  Indian's  glory 
is  passing  away ;  they  are  as  the  setting  sun ;  while  the 
white  man  is  as  the  sun  rising  in  all  his  power.  We  are 
the  falling  leaves ;  the  whites  are  the  powerful  horses  that 
trample  them  under  foot.  We  are  about  to  return  home, 
and  it  is  well  that  nothing  has  happened  to  occasion  strife 
between  us.  But  I  wish  you  to  know  that  there  are  two 
young  men  among  us  who  do  not  belong  to  my  band.  They 
are  pillagers,  belonging  to  another  band,  and  they  may  be 
troublesome.  I  wish  you  to  tell  your  young  men  of  this, 
that  they  may  be  on  their  guard." 

After  smoking  together,  the  chiefs  separated.  "Hole  in 
the  Day"  having  thus  done  all  that  he  deemed  proper,  re 
turned  with  his  warriors  to  his  teepee. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  Chippeways  encamped  near 
St.  Anthony's  falls ;  the  women  took  upon  themselves  all 
the  fatigue  and  labor  of  the  journey,  the  men  carrying  only 
the  implements  of  war  and  hunting.  The  Chippeway 
chief  was  the  husband  of  three  wives,  who  were  sisters ; 
and,  strange  to  say,  when  an  Indian  fancies  more  than  one 
wife,  he  is  fortunate  if  he  can  obtain  sisters,  for  they  gen 
erally  live  in  harmony,  while  wives  who  are  not  related  are 
constantly  quarreling;  and  the  husband  does  not  often 
interfere,  even  if  words  are  changed  to  blows. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  two  pillagers  were  lurking  about ; 

5 


98  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

now  remaining  a  short  time  with  the  camp  of  the  Chippeways, 
now*  absenting  themselves  for  a  day  or  two.  But  while 
the  Chippeways  were  preparing  to  leave  the  Falls,  the  pil 
lagers  were  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  Snelling.  They 
had  accompanied  Hole  in  the  Day's  band,  with  the  deter 
mination  of  killing  an  enemy.  The  ancient  feud  still 
rankled  in  their  hearts;  as  yet  they  had  had  no  opportunity 
of  satisfying  their  thirst  for  blood ;  but  on  this  morning  they 
were  concealed  in  the  bushes,  when  Red  Boy  and  Beloved 
Hail,  two  Dahcotahs,  were  passing  on  horseback.  It  was 
but  a  moment — and  the  deed  was  done.  Both  the  Chip 
peways  fired,  and  Beloved  Hail  fell. 

Red  Boy  was  wounded,  but  not  badly ;  he  hurried  in  to 
tell  the  sad  news,  and  the  two  Chippeways  were  soon  out 
of  the  power  of  their  enemies.  They  fled,  it  is  supposed, 
to  Missouri. 

The  friends  of  the  dead  warrior  immediately  sought  his 
body,  and  brought  it  to  the  house  of  the  interpreter.  There 
his  friends  came  together ;  and  as  they  entered  one  by  one, 
on  every  side  pressing  forward  to  see  the  still,  calm,  features 
of  the  young  man ;  they  threw  on  the  body  their  blankets, 
and  other  presents,  according  to  their  custom  of  honoring 
the  dead. 

Troops  are  kept  at  Fort  Snelling,  not  only  as  a  protection 
to  the  whites  in  the  neighborhood,  but  to  prevent,  if  possi 
ble,  difficulties  between  the  different  bands  of  Indians ;  and 
as  every  year  brings  the  Chippeways  to  Fort  Snelling, 
either  to  transact  business  with  the  government  or  on  a 
visit  of  pleasure,  the  Chippeways  and  Dahcotahs  must  be 
frequently  thrown  together.  The  commanding  officer  of 
the  garrison  notifies  the  two  bands,  on  such  occasions,  that 


THE   DAHCOTAH   BRIDE.  99 

no  hostilities  will  be  permitted  ;  so  there  is  rarely  an  oc 
currence  to  disturb  their  peace. 

But  now  it  is  impossible  to  restrain  the  excited  passions 
of  the  Dahcotahs.  Capt.  B ,  who  was  then  in  com 
mand  at  Fort  Snelling,  sent  word  to  the  Chippeway  chief 
of  the  murder  that  had  been  committed,  and  requested  him 
to  bring  all  his  men  in,  as  the  murderer  must  be  given  up. 

But  this  did  not  satsfy  the  Dahcotahs ;  they  longed  to 
raise  the  tomahawk  which  they  held  in  their  hands.  They 
refused  to  wait,  but  insisted  upon  following  the  Chippeways 
and  revenging  themselves ;  the  arguments  of  the  agent  and 
other  friends  of  the  Dahcotahs  were  unavailing;  nothing 
would  satisfy  them  but  blood.  The  eyes,  even  of  the  wo 
men,  sparkled  with  delight,  at  the  prospect  of  the  scalps 
they  would  dance  round ;  while  the  mother  of  Beloved  Hail 
was  heard  to  call  for  the  scalp  of  the  murderer  of  her  son  ! 

Seeing  the  chiefs  determined  on  war,  Capt.  B 

told  them  he  would  cease  to  endeavor  to  change  their  in 
tentions;  "  but  as  soon"  said  he,  "  as  you  attack  the  Chip 
peways,  will  I  send  the  soldiers  to  your  villages ;  and  who 
will  protect  your  wives  and  children  ?" 

This  had  the  desired  effect,  and  the  warriors,  seeing  the 
necessity  of  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  Chippeways,  be 
came  more  calm. 

Hole  in  the  Day  with  his  men  came  immediately  to  the 
Fort,  where  a  conference  was  held  at  the  gate.  There 
were  assembled  about  three  hundred  Dahcotahs  and  seventy 
Chippeways,  with  the  officers  of  the  garrison  and  the  Indian 
agent. 

It  was  ascertained  that  the  murder  had  been  committed 
by  the  two  pillagers,  for  none  of  the  other  Chippeway  war- 


100  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

riors  had  been  absent  from  the  camp.  Hole  in  the  Day, 
however,  gave  up  two  of  his  men,  as  hostages  to  be  kept  at 
Fort  Snelling  until  the  murderers  should  be  given  up. 

The  Dahcotahs,  being  obliged  for  the  time  to  defer  the 
hope  of  revenge,  returned  to  their  village  to  bury  their 
dead. 


CHAPTER    III. 

WE  rarely  consider  the  Indian  as  a  member  of  a  family — 
we  associate  him  with  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife. 
But  the  very  strangeness  of  the  customs  of  the  Dahcotahs 
adds  to  their  interest ;  and  in  their  mourning  they  have  all 
the  horror  of  death  without  an  attendant  solemnity. 

All  the  agony  and  grief  that  a  Christian  mother  feels 
when  she  looks  for  the  last  time  at  the  form  which  will  so 
soon  moulder  in  the  dust,  an  Indian  mother  feels  also.  The 
Christian  knows  that  the  body  will-  live  again ;  that  the 
life-giving  breath  of  the  Eternal  will  once  more  re-animate 
the  helpless  clay ;  that  the  eyes  which  were  brilliant  and 
beautiful  in  life  will  again  look  brightly  from  the  now 
closed  lids — when  the  dead  shall  live — when  the  beloved 
child  shall  "  rise  again." 

The  Dahcotah  woman  has  no  such  hope.  Though  she  be 
lieves  that  the  soul  will  live  forever  in  the  "  city  of  spirits," 
yet  the  infant  she  has  nursed  at  her  bosom,  the  child  she 
loved  and  tended,  the  young  man  whose  strength  and  beauty 
were  her  boast,  will  soon  be  ashes  and  dust. 

And  if  she  have  not  the  hope  of  the  Christian,  neither 


THE   DAHCOTAH   BRIDE,"  V  ,  10t 


has  she  the  spirit.  For  as  she  cuts  off  her  hair 
her  clothes,  throwing  them  under  the  scaffold,  what  joy 
would  it  bring  to  her  heart  could  she  hope  herself  to  take 
the  life  of  the  murderer  of  her  son. 

Beloved  Hail  was  borne  by  the  Indians  to  his  native  vil 
lage,  and  the  usual  ceremonies  attending  the  dead  per 
formed,  but  with  more  than  usual  excitement,  occasioned 
by  the  circumstances  of  the  death  of  their  friend. 

The  body  of  a  dead  Dahcotah  is  wrapped  in  cloth  or 
calico,  or  sometimes  put  in  a  box,  if  one  can  be  obtained, 
and  placed  upon  a  scaffold  raised  a  few  feet  from  the 
ground.  All  the  relations  of  the  deceased  then  sit  round  it 
for  about  twenty -four  hours ;  they  tear  their  clothes ;  TUB 
knives  through  the  fleshy  parts  of  their  arms,  but  there  is 
no  sacrifice  which  they  can  make  so  great  as  cutting  ofT 
their  hair. 

The  men  go  in  mourning  by  painting  themselves  black 
and  they  do  not  wash  the  paint  off  until  they  take  the  scalp 
of  an  enemy,  or  give  a  medicine-dance. 

While  they  sit  round  the  scaffold,  one  of  the  nearest  re 
lations  commences  a  doleful  crying,  when  all  the  others 
join  in,  and  continue  their  wailing  for  some  time.  Then 
for  awhile  their  tears  are  wiped  away.  After  smoking  for 
a  short  time  another  of  the  family  commences  again,  and 
the  others  join  in.  This  is  continued  for  a  day  and  night, 
and  then  each  one  goes  to  his  own  wigwam. 

The  Dahcotahs  mourned  thus  for  Beloved  Hail.  In  the 
evening  the  cries  of  his  wife  were  heard  as  she  called  for 
her  husband,  while  the  rocks  and  the  hills  echoed  the  wail. 
He  will  return  no  more — and  who  will  hunt  the  deer  for 
bis  wife  and  her  young  children ! 


I0i>,  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 


murderers  wore  never  found,  and  the  hostages,  after 
being  detained  for  eighteen  months  at  Fort  Snelling,  were 
released.  They  bore  their  confinement  with  admirable 
patience,  the  more  so  as  they  were  punished  for  the  fault 
of  others.  When  they  were  released,  they  were  furnished 
with  guns  and  clothing.  For  fear  they  would  be  killed  by 
the  Dahcotahs,  their  release  was  kept  a  secret,  and  the 
Dahcotahs  knew  not  that  the  two  Chippeways  were  released, 
until  they  were  far  on  their  journey  home.  But  one  of 
them  never  saw  his  native  village  again.  The  long  con 
finement  had  destroyed  his  health,  and  being  feeble  when 
he  set  out,  he  soon  found  himself  unequal  to  the  journey. 
He  died  a  few  days  before  the  home  was  reached ;  and  the 
welcome  that  his  companion  received  was  a  sad  one,  for  he 
brought  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  comrade. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

^1 

BUT  we  will  do  as  the  Dahcotahs  did — turn  from  the  sad 
ness  and  horror  of  an  Indian's  death,  to  the  gayety  and  hap 
piness  of  an  Indian  marriage.  The  Indians  are  philosophers, 
after  all — they  knew  that  they  could  not  go  after  the  Chip 
peways,  so  they  made  the  best  of  it  and  smoked.  Beloved 
Hail  was  dead,  but  they  could  not  bring  him  to  life,  and 
they  smoked  again:  besides,  "Walking  Wind"  was  to  be 
married  to  "  The  War  Club,"  whereupon  they  smoked 
harder  than  ever. 


THE   DAHCOTAH  BRIDE.  103 

There  are  two  kinds  of  marriages  among  the  Dahcotahs, 
buying  a  wife  and  stealing  one.  The  latter  answers  to  our 
runaway  matches,  and  in  some  respects  the  former  is  the 
ditto  of  one  conducted  as  it  ought  to  be  among  ourselves. 
So  after  all,  I  suppose,  Indian  marriages  are  much  like 
white  people's. 

But  among  the  Dahcotahs  it  is  an  understood  thing  that, 
when  the  young  people  run  away,  they  are  to  be  forgiven 
at  any  time  they  choose  to  return,  if  it  should  be  the  next 
day,  or  six  months  afterwards.  This  saves  a  world  of 
trouble.  It  prevents  the  necessity  of  the  father  looking 
daggers  at  the  son-in-law,  and  then  loving  him  violently; 
the  mother  is  spared  the  trial  of  telling  her  daughter  that 
she  forgives  her  though  she  has  broken  her  heart ;  and, 
what  is  still  better,  there  is  not  the  slightest  occasion  what 
ever  for  the  bride  to  say  she  is  wretched,  for  having  done 
what  she  certainly  would  do  over  again  to-morrow,  were  it 
undone. 

So  that  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  the  Dahcotahs  have 
the  advantage  of  us  in  runaway  matches,  or  as  they  say  in 
;<  stealing  a  wife ;"  for  it  is  the  same  thing,  only  more 
honestly  stated. 

When  a  young  man  is  unable  to  purchase  the  girl  he 
lofes  best,  or  if  her  parents  are  unwilling  she  should  marry 
him,  if  he  have  gained  the  heart  of  the  maiden  he  is  safe. 
They  appoint  a  time  and  place  to  meet;  take  whatever 
will  be  necessary  for  their  journey ;  that  is,  the  man  takes 
his  gun  and  powder  and  shot,  and  the  girl  her  knife  and 
wooden  bowl  to  eat  and  drink  out  of;  and  these  she  intends 
to  hide  in  her  blanket.  Sometimes  they  merely  go  to  the 
next  village  to  return  the  next  day.  But  if  they  fancy  a 


104  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

bridal  tour,  away  they  go  several  hundred  miles  with  the 
grass  for  their  pillow,  the  canopy  of  heaven  for  their  cur 
tains,  and  the  bright  stars  to  light  and  watch  over  them. 
When  they  return  home,  the  bride  goes  at  once  to  chop 
ping  wood,  and  the  groom  to  smoking,  without  the  least 
form  or  parade. 

Sometimes  a  young  girl  dare  not  run  away  ;  for  she  has 
a  miserly  father  or  mother  who  may  not  like  her  lover  be 
cause  he  had  not  enough  to  give  them  for  her  ;  and  she 
knows  they  will  persecute  her  and  perhaps  shoot  her  hus 
band.  But  this  does  not  happen  often.  Just  as,  once  in  a 
hundred  years  in  a  Christian  land,  if  a  girl  will  run  away 
with  a  young  man,  her  parents  run  after  her,  and  in  spite 
of  religion  and  common  sense  bring  her  back,  have  her  di 
vorced,  and  then  in  either  case  the  parties  most,  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course,  be  very  miserable. 

But  the  marriage  that  we  are  about  to  witness,  is  a 
"  marriage  in  high  life"  among  the  Dahcotahs,  and  the 
bride  js  regularly  bought,  as  often  occurs  with  us. 

"  Walking  Wind"  is  not  pretty  ;  even  the  Dahcotahs,  who 
are  far  from  being  connoisseurs  in  beauty,  do  not  consider 
her  pretty.  She  is,  however,  tall  and  well  made,  and  her 
feet  and  hands  (as  is  always  the  case  with  the  Dahcotah 
women)  are  small.  She  has  a  quantity  of  jet-black  hair, 
that  she  braids  with  a  great  deal  of  care.  Her  eyes  are 
very  black,  but  small,  and  her  dark  complexion  is  relieved 
by  more  red  than  is  usually  seen  in  the  cheeks  of  the 
daughters  of  her  race.  Her  teeth  are  very  fine,  as  every 
body  knows — for  she  is  always  laughing,  and  her  laugh  is 
perfect  music. 

Then  Walking  Wind  is,  generally  speaking,  so  good  tern- 


THE   DAHCOTAH   BRIDE.  105 


pered.  She  was  never  known  to  be  very  angry  but  once, 
when  Harpstenah  told  her  she  was  in  love  with  "  The  War 
Club  ;"  she  threw  the  girl  down  and  tore  half  the  hair  out 
of  her  head.  What  made  it  seem  very  strange  was,  that 
she  was  over  head  and  ears  in  love  with  "  The  War  Club" 
at  that  very  time  ;  but  she  did  not  choose  anybody  should 
know  it. 

War  Club  was  a  flirt — yes,  a  male  coquette — and  he 
had  broken  the  hearts  of  half  the  girls  in  the  band.  Be 
sides  being  a  flirt,  he  was  a  fop.  He  would  plait  his  hair 
and  put  vermilion  on  his  cheeks  ;  and,  after  seeing  that  his 
leggins  were  properly  arranged,  he  would  put  the  war  eagle 
feathers  in  his  head,  and  folding  his  blanket  round  him, 
would  walk  about  the  village,  or  attitudinize  with  all  the 
airs  of  a  Broadway  dandy.  War  Club  was  a  great  warrior 
too,  for  on  his  blanket  was  marked  the  Red  Hand,  which 
showed  he  had  killed  his  worst  enemy — for  it  was  his 
father's  enemy,  and  he  had  hung  the  scalp  up  at  his 
father's  grave.  Besides,  he  was  a  great  hunter,  which 
most  of  the  Dahcotahs  are. 

No  one,  then,  could  for  a  moment  doubt  the  pretensions  of 
War  Club,  or  that  all  the  girls  of  the  village  should  fall  in 
love  with  him ;  and  he,  like  a  downright  flirt,  was  nat 
urally  very  cold  and  cruel  to  the  poor  creatures  who  loved 
him  so  much. 

Walking  Wind,  besides  possessing  many  other  accom 
plishments,  such  as  tanning  deer-skin,  making  mocassins, 
&c.,  was  a  capital  shot.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  young 
warriors  were  shooting  at  a  mark,  Walking  Wind  was  pro 
nounced  the  best  shot  among  them,  and  the  War  Club 
was  quite  subdued.  He  could  bear  everything  else  ;  but 

5* 


106  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

when  Walking  Wind  beat  him  shooting — why — the  point 
was  settled  ;  he  must  fall  in  love  with  her,  and,  as  a  natu 
ral  consequence,  marry  her. 

Walking  Wind  was  not  so  easily  won.  She  had  been 
tormented  so  long  herself,  that  she  was  in  duty  bound  to 
pay  back  in  the  same  coin.  It  was  a  Duncan  Gray  affair 
— only  reversed.  At  last  she  yielded  ;  her  lover  gave  her 
so  many  trinkets.  True,  they  were  brass  and  tin  ;  but  Dah- 
cotah  maidens  cannot  sigh  for  pearls  and  diamonds,  for  they 
never  even  heard  of  them ;  and  the  philosophy  of  the  thing 
is  just  the  same,  since  everybody  is  outdone  by  somebody. 
Besides,  her  lover  played  the  flute  all  night  long  near  her 
father's  wigwam,  and,  not  to  speak  of  the  pity  that  she  felt 
for  him,  Walking  Wind  was  confident  she  never  could  sleep 
until  that  flute  stopped  playing,  which  she  knew  would  be 
as  soon  as  they  were  married.  For  all  the  world  knows 
that  no  husband,  either  white  or  copper-colored,  ever  troubles 
himself  to  pay  any  attention  of  that  sort  to  his  wife,  how 
ever  devotedly  romantic  he  may  have  been  before  mar 
riage. 

Sometimes  the  Dahootah  lover  buys  his  wife  without  her 
consent ;  but  the  War  Club  was  more  honorable  than  that : 
he  loved  Walking  Wind,  and  he  wanted  her  to  love  him. 

When  all  was  settled  between  the  young  people,  Wai- 
Club  told  his  parents  that  he  wanted  to  marry.  The  old 
people  were  glad  to  hear  it,  for  they  like  their  ancient  and 
honorable  names  and  houses  to  be  kept  up,  just  as  well  as 
lords  and  dukes  do  ;  so  they  collected  everything  they 
owned  for  the  purpose  of  buying  Walking  Wind.  Guns 
and  blankets,  powder  and  shot,  knives  and  trinkets,  were  in 
requisition  instead  of  title-deeds  and  settlements.  So,  when 


THE    DAHCOTAH    BRIDE.  107 


all  was  ready,  War  Club  put  the  presents  on  a  horse,  and 
carried  them  to  the  door  of  Walking  Wind's  wigwam. 

He  does  not  ask  for  the  girl,  however,  as  this  would  not 
be  Dahcotah  etiquette.  He  lays  the  presents  on  the  ground 
and  has  a  consultation,  or,  as  the  Indians  say,  a  "  talk" 
with  the  parents,  concluding  by  asking  them  to  give  him 
Walking  Wind  for  his  wife. 

And,  what  is  worthy  to  be  noticed  here  is,  that,  after  hav 
ing  gone  to  so  much  trouble  to  ask  a  question,  he  never  for 
a  moment  waits  for  an  answer,  but  turns  round,  horse  and 
all,  and  goes  back  to  his  wigwam. 

The  parents  then  consult  for  a  day  or  two,  although  they 
from  the  first  moment  have  made  up  their  minds  as  to  what 
they  are  going  to  do.  In  due  time  the  presents  are  taken 
into  the  wigwam,  which  signifies  to  the  lover  that  he  is  a 
happy  man.  And  on  the  next  day  Walking  Wind  is  to  be 
a  bride. 


CHAPTER   V. 

EARLY  in  the  morning,  Walking  Wind  commenced  her 
toilet — and  it  was  no  light  task  to  deck  the  Indian  bride  in 
all  her  finery. 

Her  mocassins  were  worked  with  porcupine,  and  fitted 
closely  her  small  feet ;  the  leggins  were  ornamented  with 
ribbons  of  all  colors ;  her  cloth  shawl,  shaped  like  a  man 
tilla,  was  worked  with  rows  of  bright  ribbons,  and  the  sew 
ing  did  honor  to  her  own  skill  in  needle- work.  Her  breast 


108  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

was  covered  with  brooches,  and  a  quantity  of  beads  hung 
round  her  neck.  Heavy  ear-rings  are  in  her  ears — and  on 
her  head  is  a  diadem  of  war  eagle's  feathers.  She  has  a 
bright  spot  of  vermilion  on  each  cheek,  and — behold  an  In 
dian  bride ! 

When  she  is  ready,  as  many  presents  as  were  given  for 
her  are  collected  and  put  on  a  horse  ;  and  the  bride,  accom 
panied  by  three  or  four  of  her  relations,  takes  the  road  to 
the  wigwam  of  the  bridegroom. 

When  they  arrive  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  wig 
wam,  Walking  Wind's  father  calls  for  the  War  Club  to 
come  out.  He  does  not  come,  but  sends  one  of  his  re 
lations  to  receive  the  bride.  Do  not  suppose  that  Walking 
Wind's  father  takes  offence  at  the  bridegroom's  not  coming 
when  he  is  called  ;  for  it  is  as  much  a  part  of  the  ceremony, 
among  the  Dahcotahs,  for  one  of  the  bride's  relations  to  call 
for  the  bridegroom,  and  for  the  groom  to  refuse  to  come,  as 
it  is  for  us  to  have  the  ring  put  upon  the  third  finger  of  the 
left  hand. 

As  soon  as  the  warrior  deputed  by  the  husband  elect  to 
receive  the  bride  makes  his  appearance,  the  Indians  raise  a 
shout  of  applause,  and  all  run  towards  him  as  he  approaches 
them,  and  while  they  are  running  and  shouting  they  are 
firing  off  their  guns  too. 

But  the  ceremony  is  not  over  yet.  Walking  Wind,  in 
order  to  complete  the  ceremonies,  to  be  a  wife,  must  jump 
upon  the  back  of  her  husband's  relative,  and  be  thus  carried 
into  the  wigwam  of  which  she  is  to  be  the  mistress. 

What  a  situation  for  a  bride !  Walking  Wind  seriously 
thinks  of  rebelling ;  she  hesitates — while  the  man  stands 
ready  to  start  for  the  wigwam  so  soon  as  the  luggage  is  on. 


THE   DAHCOTAH  BRIDE.  109 

The  bride  draws  back  and  pouts  a  little,  when  some  of  her 
friends  undertake  to  reason  with  her  ;  and  she,  as  if  to  avoid 
them,  springs  upon  the  back  of  the  Dahcotah,  who  carries 
her  into  the  wigwam. 

But  where  on  earth  is  the  bridegroom  ?  Seated  on  the 
ground  in  the  teepee,  looking  as  placid  and  unconcerned  as 
if  nothing  was  going  on.  Of  course  he  rises  to  receive  his 
bride?  Not  he;  but  Walking  Wind  is  on  her  feet  again, 
and  she  takes  her  seat,  without  any  invitation,  by  the  side 
of  him,  who  is  literally  to  be  her  lord  and  master — and 
they  are  man  and  wife.  As  much  so,  as  if  there  were  a 
priest  and  a  ring,  pearls  and  bride-cake.  For  the  Dahco 
tah  reveres  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  and  he  thinks  with 
solemn  awe  of  the  burial  rites  of  his  nation,  as  we  do. 
These  rites  have  been  preserved  from  generation  to  gene 
ration,  told  from  father  to  son,  and  they  will  be  handed 
down  until  the  Dahcotahs  are  no  more,  or  until  religion 
and  education  take  the  place  of  superstition  and  ignorance 
— until  God,  our  God,  is  known  and  worshipped  among  a 
people  who  as  yet  have  hardly  heard  His  name. 


SHAH-CO-PEE; 

THE-    ORATOR     OF     THE     SIOUX. 


SHAH-CO-PEE  (or  Six)  is  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Dahcotahs; 
his  village  is  about  twenty-five  miles  from  Fort  Snelling. 
He  belongs  to  the  bands  that  are  called  Men-da-wa-can-ton, 
or  People  of  the  Spirit  Lakes. 

'  No  one  who  has  lived  at  Fort  Snelling  can  ever  forget 
him,  for  at  what  house  has  he  not  called  to  shake  hands  and 
smoke ;  to  say  that  he  is  a  great  chief,  and  that  he  is 
hungry  and  must  eat  before  he  starts  for  home  ?  If  the 
hint  is  not  immediately  acted  upon,  he  adds  that  the  sun  is 
dying  fast,  and  it  is  time  for  him  to  set  out. 

Shah-co-pee  is  not  so  tall  or  fine  looking  as  Bad  Hail,  nor 
has  he  the  fine  Roman  features  of  old  Man  in  the  Cloud. 
His  face  is  decidedly  ugly ;  but  there  is  an  expression  of  in 
telligence  about  his  quick  black  eye  and  fine  forehead,  that 
makes  him  friends,  notwithstanding  his  many  troublesome 
qualities. 

At  present  he  is  in  mourning ;  his  face  is  painted  black. 
He  never  combs  his  hair,  but  wears  a  black  silk  hand 
kerchief  tied  across  his  forehead. 

When  he  speaks  he  uses  a  great  deal  of  gesture,  suiting 
the  action  to  the  word.  His  hands,  which  are  small  and 


SHAH-CO-PEE;   THE   ORATOR   OF   THE    SIOUX.  Ill 

well  formed,  are  black  with  dirt ;  he  does  not  descend  to  the 
duties  of  the  toilet. 

He  is  the  orator  of  the  Dahcotahs.  No  matter  how 
trilling  the  occasion,  he  talks  well ;  and  assumes  an  air  of 
importance  that  would  become  him  if  he  were  discoursing 
on  matters  of  life  and  death. 

Some  years  ago,  our  government  wished  the  Chippeways 
and  Dahcotahs  to  conclude  a  treaty  of  peace  among  them 
selves.  Frequently  have  these  two  bands  made  peace,  but 
rarely  kept  it  any  length  of  time.  On  this  occasion  many 
promises  were  made  on  both  sides ;  promises  which  would 
be  broken  by  some  inconsiderate  young  warrior  before  long, 
and  then  retaliation  must  follow. 

Shah-co-pee  has  great  influence  among  the  Dahcotahs,  and 
he  was  to  come  to  Fort  Snelling  to  be  present  at  the  council 
of  peace.  Early  in  the  morning  he  and  about  twenty  war 
riors  left  their  village  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Peters,  for  the 
Fort. 

When  they  were  very  near,  so  that  their  actions  could 
be  distinguished,  they  assembled  in  their  canoes,  drawing 
them  close  together,  that  they  might  hear  the  speech  which 
their  chief  was  about  to  make  them. 

They  raised  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  their  own  flag, 
which  is  a  staff  adorned  with  feathers  from  the  war  eagle; 
and  the  noon-day  sun  gave  brilliancy  to  their  gay  dresses, 
and  the  feathers  and  ornaments  that  they  wore. 

Shah-co-pee  stood  straight  and  firm  in  his  canoe — and 
not  the  less  proudly  that  the  walls  of  the  Fort  towered 
above  him. 

"  My  boys,"  he  said  (for  thus  he  always  addressed  his 
men),  "the  Dahcotahs  are  all  braves;  never  has  a  coward 


112  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

been  known  among  the  People  of  the  Spirit  Lakes.  Let  the 
women  and  children  fear  their  enemies,  but  we  will  face 
our  foes,  and  always  conquer. 

"  We  are  going  to  talk  with  the  white  men ;  our  great 
Father  wishes  us  to  be  at  peace  with  our  enemies.  We 
have  long  enough  shed  the  blood  of  the  Chippeways ;  we 
have  danced  round  their  scalps,  and  our  children  have 
kicked  their  heads  about  in  the  dust.  What  more  do  we 
want  ?  When  we  are  in  council,  listen  to  the  words  of  the 
Interpreter  as  he  tells  us  what  our  great  Father  says,  and 
I  will  answer  him  for  you  ;  and  when  we  have  eaten  and 
smoked  the  pipe  of  peace,  we  will  return  to  our  village." 

The  chief  took  his  seat  with  all  the  importance  of  a  pub 
lic  benefactor.  He  intended  to  have  all  the  talking  to  hirn- 
•self,  to  arrange  matters  according  to  his  own  ideas ;  but  he 
did  it  with  the  utmost  condescension,  and  his  warriors  were 
satisfied. 

Besides  being  an  orator,  Shah-co-pee  is  a  beggar,  and  one 
of  a  high  order  too,  for  he  will  neither  take  offence  nor  a 
refusal.  Tell  him  one  day  that  you  will  not  give  him  pork 
and  flour,  and  on  the  next  he  returns,  nothing  daunted, 
shaking  hands,  and  asking  for  pork  and  flour.  He  always 
gains  his  point,  for  you  are  obliged  to  give  in  order  to  get 
rid  of  him.  He  will  take  up  his  quarters  at  the  Inter 
preter's,  and  come  down  upon  you  every  day  for  a  week 
just  at  meal  time — and  as  he  is  always  blessed  with  a  fero 
cious  appetite,  it  is  much  better  to  capitulate,  come  to 
terms  by  giving  him  what  he  wants,  and  let  him  go.  And 
after  he  has  once  started,  ten  to  one  if  he  does  not  come 
back  to  say  he  wants  to  shoot  and  bring  you  some  ducks ; 
you  must  give  him  powder  and  shot  to  enable  him  to  do  so. 
That  will  probably  be  the  last  of  it. 


SHAH-CO-PEE;   THE   ORATOR  OP  THE   SIOUX.  113 


CHAPTER    II. 

IT  was  a  beautiful  morning  in  June  when  we  left  Fort 
Snelling  to  go  on  a  pleasure  party  up  the  St.  Peters,  in  a 
steamboat,  the  first  that  had  ever  ascended  that  river. 
There  were  many  drawbacks  in  the  commencement,  as 
there  always  are  on  such  occasions.  The  morning  was 
rather  cool,  thought  some,  and  as  they  hesitated  about  go 
ing,  of  course  their  toilets  were  delayed  to  the  last  moment. 
And  when  all  were  fairly  in  the  boat,  wood  was  yet  to 
be  found.  Then  something  was  the  matter  with  one  of 
the  wheels — and  the  mothers  were  almost  sorry  they  had 
consented  to  come ;  while  the  children,  frantic  with  joy, 
were  in  danger  of  being  drowned  every  moment,  by  the 
energetic  movements  they  made  near  the  sides  of  the  boat, 
by  way  of  indicating  their  satisfaction  at  the  state  of 
things. 

In  the  cabin,  extensive  preparations  were  making  in  case 
the  excursion  brought  on  a  good  appetite.  Everybody  con 
tributed  loaf  upon  loaf  of  bread  and  cake ;  pies,  coffee 
and  sugar  ;  cold  meats  of  every  description ;  with  milk  and 
cream  in  bottles.  Now  and  then,  one  of  these  was  broken 
or  upset,  by  way  of  adding  to  the  confusion,  which  was 
already  intolerable. 

Champaigne  and  old  Cogniac  were  brought  by  the  young 
gentlemen,  only  for  fear  the  ladies  should  be  sea-sick ;  or, 
perhaps,  in  case  the  gentlemen  should  think  it  positively 
necessary  to  drink  the  ladies'  health. 


114  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

When  we  thought  all  was  ready,  there  was  still  another 
delay.  Shah-co-pee  and  two  of  his  warriors  were  seen  com 
ing  down  the  hill,  the  chief  making  an  animated  appeal  to 
some  one  on  board  the  boat ;  and  as  he  reached  the  shore 
he  gave  us  to  understand  that  his  business  was  concluded, 
and  that  he  would  like  to  go  with  us.  But  it  was  very 
evident  that  he  considered  his  company  a  favor. 

The  bright  sun  brought  warmth,  and  we  sat  on  the 
upper  deck  admiring  the  beautiful  shores  of  the  St.  Peter's. 
Not  a  creature  was  to  be  seen  for  some  distance  on  the 
banks,  and  the  birds  as  they  flew  over  our  heads  seemed  to 
be  the  fit  and  only  inhabitants  of  such  a  region. 

When  tired  of  admiring  the  scenery,  there  was  enough 
to  employ  us.  The  table  was  to  be  set  for  dinner ;  tho 
children  had  already  found  out  which  basket  contained  the 
cake,  and  they  were  casting  admiring  looks  towards  it. 

When  we  were  all  assembled  to  partake  of  some  refresh 
ments,  it  was  delightful  to  find  that  there  were  not  enough 
chairs  for  half  the  party.  We  borrowed  each  other's  knives 
and  forks  too,  and  etiquette,  that  petty  tyrant  of  society, 
retired  from  the  scene. 

Shah-co-pee  found  his  way  to  the  cabin,  where  he  mani 
fested  strong  symptoms  of  shaking  hands  over  again ;  in 
order  to  keep  him  quiet,  we  gave  him  plenty  to  eat.  How 
he  seemed  to  enjoy  a  piece  of  cake  that  had  accidentally 
dropped  into  the  oyster-soup  !  and  with  equal  gravity  would 
he  eat  apple-pie  and  ham  together.  And  then  his  cry  of 
"  wakun"^  \vhen  the  cork  flew  from  the  charnpaigne  bot 
tle  across  the  table ! 

*  Mysterious. 


SHAH-CO-PEE;   THE   ORATOR  OF   THE   SIOUX.  115 

How  happily  the  day  passed — how  few  such  days  occur 
in  the  longest  life  ! 

As  Shah-co-pee's  village  appeared  in  sight,  the  chief  ad 
dressed  Col.  D ,  who  was  at  that  time  in  command 

of  Fort  Snelling,  asking  him  why  we  had  come  on  such  an 
excursion. 

"  To  escort  you  home"  was  the  ready  reply;  "you  are 
a  great  chief,  and  worthy  of  being  honored,  and  we  have 
chosen  this  as  the  best  way  of  showing  our  respect  and  ad 
miration  of  you." 

The  Dahcotah  chief  believed  all ;  he  never  for  a  moment 
thought  there  was  anything  like  jesting  on  the  subject  of 
his  own  high  merits ;  his  face  beamed  with  delight  on  re 
ceiving  such  a  compliment. 

The  men  and  women  of  the  village  crowded  on  the  shore 
as  the  boat  landed,  as  well  they  might,  for  a  steamboat 
was  a  new  sight  to  them. 

The  chief  sprang  from  the  boat,  and  swelling  with  pride 
and  self  admiration  he  took  the  most  conspicuous  station 
on  a  rock  near  the  shore,  among  his  people,  and  made  them 
a  speech. 

We  could  but  admire  his  native  eloquence.  Here,  with 
all  that  is  wild  in  nature  surrounding  him,  did  the  untaught 
orator  address  his  people.  His  lips  gave  rapid  utterance  to 
thoughts  which  did  honor  to  his  feelings,  when  we  consider 
who  and  what  he  was. 

He  told  them  that  the  white  people  were  their  friends ; 
that  they  wished  them  to  give  up  murder  and  intemper 
ance,  and  to  live  quietly  and  happily.  They  taught  them 
to  plant  corn,  and  they  were  anxious  to  instruct  their  chil 
dren.  "When  we  are  suffering,"  said  he,  "during  the 


116  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

cold  weather,  from  sickness  or  want  of  food,  they  give  us 
medicine  and  bread." 

And  finally  he  told  them  of  the  honor  that  had  been  paid 
him.  "I  went,  as  you  know,  to  talk  with  the  big  Captain 
of  the  Fort,  and  he,  knowing  the  bravery  of  the  Dahcotahs, 
and  that  I  was  a  great  chief,  has  brought  me  home,  as  you 
see.  Never  has  a  Dahcotah  warrior  been  thus  honored  !" 

Never  indeed  !  But  we  took  care  not  to  undeceive  him. 
It  was  a  harmless  error,  and  as  no  efforts  on  our  part 
could  have  diminished  his  self  importance,  we  listened  with 
apparent,  indeed  with  real  admiration  of  his  eloquent 
speech.  The  women  brought  ducks  on  board,  and  in  ex 
change  we  gave  them  bread ;  and  it  was  evening  as  we 
watched  the  last  teepee  of  Shah-co-pee's  village  fade  away 
in  the  distance. 

But  sorrow  mingles  with  the  remembrance  of  that  bright 
day.  One  of  those  who  contributed  most  to  its  pleasures 
is  gone  from  us — one  whom  all  esteemed  and  many  loved, 
and  justly,  for  never  beat  a  kinder  or  a  nobler  heart. 


CHAPTER   III. 

SHAH-CO-PEE  has  looked  rather  grave  lately.  There  is 
trouble  in  the  wigwam. 

The  old  chief  is  the  husband  of  three  wives,  and  they  and 
their  children  are  always  fighting.  The  first  wife  is  old  as 
the  hills,  wrinkled  and  haggard ;  the  chief  cares  no  more  for 
her  than  he  does  for  the  stick  of  wood  she  is  chopping. 


SHAH-CO-PEE;  THE  ORATOR   OF  THE   SIOUX.  117 


She  quarrels  with  everybody  but  him,  and  this  prevents 
her  from  being  quite  forgotten. 

The  day  of  the  second  wife  is  past  too,  it  is  of  no  use  for 
her  to  plait  her  hair  and  put  on  her  ornaments ;  for  the  old 
chief's  heart  is  wrapped  up  in  his  third  wife. 

The  girl  did  not  love  him,  how  could  she  ?  and  he  did 
not  succeed  in  talking  her  into  the  match ;  but  he  induced 
the  parents  to  sell  her  to  him,  and  the  young  wife  went 
weeping  to  the  teepee  of  the  chief. 

Hers  was  a  sad  fate.  She  hated  her  husband  as  much 
as  he  loved  her.  No  presents  could  reconcile  her  to  her  sit 
uation.  The  two  forsaken  wives  never  ceased  annoying 
her,  and  their  children  assisted  them.  The  young  wife  had 
not  the  courage  to  resent  their  ill  treatment,  for  the  loss  of 
her  lover  had  broken  her  heart.  But  that  lover  did  not 
seem  to  be  in  such  despair  as  she  was — he  did  not  quit  the 
village,  or  drown  himself,  or  commit  any  act  of  despera 
tion.  He  lounged  and  smoked  as  much  as  ever.  On  one 
occasion  when  Shah-co-pee  was  absent  from  the  village  the 
lovers  met. 

They  had  to  look  well  around  them,  for  the  two  old 
wives  were  always  on  the  look  out  for  something  to  tell  of 
the  young  one  ;  but  there  was  no  one  near.  The  wind 
whistled  keenly  round  the  bend  of  the  river  as  the  Dahco- 
tah  told  the  weeping  girl  to  listen  to  him. 

When  had  she  refused  ?  How  had  she  longed  to  hear 
the  sound  of  his  voice  when  wearied  to  death  with  the  long 
boastings  of  the  old  chief. 

But  how  did  her  heart  beat  when  Red  Stone  told  her  that 
he  loved  her  still — that  he  had  only  been  waiting  an  oppor- 


118  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

tunity  to  induce  her  to  leave  her  old  husband,  and  go  with 
him  far  away. 

She  hesitated  a  little,  but  not  long ;  and  when  Shah- 
co-pee  returned  to  his  teepee  his  young  wife  was  gone — no 
one  had  seen  her  depart — no  one  knew  where  to  seek  for 
her.  When  the  old  man  heard  that  Red.  Stone  was  gone 
too,  his  rage  knew  no  bounds.  He  beat  his  two  wives 
almost  to  death,  and  would  have  given  his  handsomest 
pipe-stem  to  have  seen  the  faithless  one  again. 

His  passion  did  not  last  long ;  it  would  have  killed  him 
if  it  had.  His  wives  moaned  all  through  the  night,  bruised 
and  bleeding,  for  the  fault  of  their  rival ;  while  the  chief 
had  recourse  to  the  pipe,  the  never-failing  refuge  of  the 
Dahcotah. 

"  I  thought,"  said  the  chief,  "  that  some  calamity  was 
going  to  happen  to  me"  (for,  being  more  composed,  he  be 
gan  to  talk  to  the  other  Indians  who  sat  with  him  in  his 
teepee,  somewhat  after  the  manner  and  in  the  spirit  of  Job's 
friends).  "  I  saw  Unk-a-tahe,  the  great  fish  of  the  water, 
and  it  showed  its  horns ;  and  we  know  that  that  is  always  a 
sign  of  trouble." 

"  Ho  !"  replied  an  old  medicine  man,  "  I  remember  when 
Unk-a-tahe  got  in  under  the  falls"  (of  St.  Anthony)  "  and 
broke  up  the  ice.  The  large  pieces  of  ice  went  swiftly 
down,  and  the  water  forced  its  way  until  it  was  frightful 
to  see  it.  The  trees  near  the  shore  were  thrown  down,  and 
the  small  islands  were  left  bare.  Near  Fort  Snelling  there 
was  a  house  where  a  white  man  and  his  wife  lived.  The 
woman  heard  the  noise,  and,  waking  her  husband,  ran  out ; 
but  as  he  did  not  follow  her  quick  enough,  the  •  ise  was 
soon  afloat  and  he  was  drowned." 


SHAH-CO-PEE;    THE   ORATOR   OF   THE    SIOUX.  119 

There  was  an  Indian  camp  near  this  house,  for  the  body 
of  Wenona,  the  sick  girl  who  was  carried  over  the  Falls, 
was  found  here.  It  was  placed  on  a  scaffold  on  the  shore, 
near  where  the  Indians  found  her,  and  Checkered  CJoud 
moved  her  teepee,  to  be  near  her  daughter.  Several  other 
Dahcotah  families  were  also  near  her. 

But  what  was  their  fright  when  they  heard  the  ice  break 
ing,  and  the  waters  roaring  as  they  carried  everything  be 
fore  them  ?  The  father  of  Wenona  clung  to  his  daughter's 
scaffold,  and  no  entreaties  of  his  wife  or  others  could  induce 
him  to  leave. 

"Unk-a-tahe  has  done  this,"  cried  the  old  man,  "  and  I 
care  not.  He  carried  my  sick  daughter  under  the  waters, 
and  he  may  bury  me  there  too."  And  while  the  others  fled 
from  the  power  of  Unk-a-tahe,  the  father  and  mother  clung 
to  the  scaffold  of  their  daughter. 

They  were  saved,  and  they  lived  by  the  body  of  Wenona 
until  they  buried  her.  The  power  of  Unk-a-tahe  is  great !" 
sov  spoke  the  medicine  man,  and  Shah-co-pee  almost  forgot 
his  loss  in  the  fear  and  admiration  of  this  monster  of  the 
deep,  this  terror  of  the  Dahcotahs. 

He  will  do  well  to  forget  the  young  wife  altogether ;  for 
she  is  far  away,  making  mocassins  for  the  man  she  loves. 
She  rejoices  at  her  escape  from  the  old  man,  and  his  two 
wives ;  while  he  is  always  making  speeches  to  his  men, 
commencing  by  saying  he  is  a  great  chief,  and  ending  with 
the  assertion  that  Red  Stone  should  have  respected  his  old 
age,  and  not  have  stolen  from  him  the  only  wife  he  loved. 


120  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

SHAH-CO-PEE  came,  a  few  days  ago,  with  twenty  other 
warriors,  some  of  them  chiefs,  on  a  visit  to  the  commanding 
officer  of  Fort  Snelling. 

The  Dahcotahs  had  heard  that  the  Winnebagoes  were 
about  to  be  removed,  and  that  they  were  to  pass  through 
their  hunting  grounds  on  their  way  to  their  future  homes. 
They  did  not  approve  of  this  arrangement.  Last  summer 
the  Dahcotahs  took  some  scalps  of  the  Winnebagoes,  and 
it  was  decided  at  Washington  that  the  Dahcotahs  should 
pay  four  thousand  dollars  of  their  annuities  as  an  atonement 
for  the  act.  This  caused  much  suffering  among  the  Dah 
cotahs  ;  fever  was  making  great  havoc  among  them,  and 
to  deprive  them  of  their  flour  and  other  articles  of  food 
was  only  enfeebling  their  constitutions,  and  rendering  them 
an  easy  prey  for  disease.  The  Dahcotahs  thought  this  very 
hard  at  the  time ;  they  have  not  forgotten  the  circum 
stance,  and  they  think  that  they  ought  to  be  consulted 
before  their  lands  are  made  a  thoroughfare  by  their  en 
emies. 

They  accordingly  assembled,  and,  accompanied  by  the 
Indian  agent  and  the  interpreter,  came  to  Fort  Snelling  to 
make  their  complaint.  When  they  were  all  seated,  (all  on 
the  floor  but  one,  who  looked  most  uncomfortable,  mounted 
on  a  high  chair),  the  agent  introduced  the  subject,  and  it 
was  discussed  for  a  while ;  the  Dahcotahs  paying  the  most 
profound  attention,  although  they  could  not  understand  a 


SHAH-CO-PEE;   THE   ORATOR   OF   THE    SIOUX.  121 

word  of  what  was  passing ;  and  when  there  was  a  few 
moments'  silence,  the  chiefs  rose  each  in  his  turn  to  protest 
against  the  Winnebagoes  passing  through  their  country. 
They  all  spoke  sensibly  and  well ;  and  when  one  finished, 
the  others  all  intimated  their  approval  by  crying  "  Ho !"  as  a 
kind  of  chorus.  After  a  while  Shah-co-pee  rose  ;  his  man 
ner  said  "  I  am  Sir  Oracle."  He  shook  hands  with  the 
commanding  officer,  with  the  agent  and  interpreter,  and 
then  with  some  strangers  who  were  visiting  the  fort. 

His  attitude  was  perfectly  erect  as  he  addressed  the 
officer. 

"  We  are  the  children  of  our  great  Father,  the  President 
of  the  United  States ;  look  upon  us,  for  we  are  your  chil 
dren  too.  You  are  placed  here  to  see  that  the  Dahcotahs 
are  protected,  that  their  rights  are  not  infringed  upon." 

While  the  Indians  cried  Ho !  ho !  with  great  emphasis, 
Shah-co-pee  shook  hands  all  round  again,  and  then  resumed 
his  place  and  speech. 

"  Once  this  country  all  belonged  to  the  Dahcotahs. 
Where  had  the  white  man  a  place  to  call  his  own  on  our 
prairies?  He  could  not  even  pass  through  our  country 
without  our  permission ! 

"  Our  great  Father  has  signified  to  us  that  he  wants  our 
lands.  We  have  sold  some  of  them  to  him,  and  we  are 
content  to  do  so,  but  he  has  promised  to  protect  us,  to  be  a 
friend  to  us,  to  take  care  of  us  as  a  father  does  of  his 
children. 

"  When  the  white  man  wishes  to  visit  us,  we  open  the 
door  of  our  country  to  him ;  we  treat  him  with  hospitality. 
He  looks  at  our  rocks,  our  river,  our  trees,  and  we  do  not 

6 


122  LEGENDS  OF  THE   SIOUX. 

disturb  him.  The  Dahcotah  and  the  white  man  are 
friends. 

"But  the  Winnebagoes  are  not  our  friends,  we  suffered 
for  them  not  long  ago ;  our  children  wanted  food ;  our 
wives  were  sick ;  they  could  not  plant  corn  or  gather  the 
Indian  potato.  Many  of  our  nation  died ;  their  bodies  are 
now  resting  on  their  scaffolds.  The  night  birds  clap  their 
wings  as  the  winds  howl  over  them ! 

"And  we  are  told  that  our  great  Father  will  let  the 
Winnebagoes  make  a  path  through  our  hunting  grounds : 
they  will  subsist  upon  our  game  ;  every  bird  or  animal  they 
kill  will  be  a  loss  to  us. 

"  The  Dahcotah's  lands  are  not  free  to  others.  If  our 
great  Father  wishes  to  make  any  use  of  our  lands,  he 
should  pay  us.  We  object  to  the  Winnebagoes  passing 
through  our  country ;  but  if  it  is  too  late  to  prevent  this, 
then  we  demand  a  thousand  dollars  for  every  village  they 
shall  pass." 

Ho!  cried  the  Indians  again;  and  Shah-co-pee,  after 
shaking  hands  once  more,  took  his  seat. 

I  doubt  if  you  will  ever  get  the  thousand  dollars  a  vil 
lage,  Shah-co-pee ;  but  I  like  the  spirit  that  induces  you 
to  demand  it.  May  you  live  long  to  make  speeches  and 
beg  bread — the  unrivalled  orator  and  most  notorious  beggar 
of  the  Dahcotahs ! 


OYE-KAR. MAN!- VIM; 

THE  TRACK-MAKER. 

CHAPTER  I. 

IT  was  in  the  summer  of  183-,  that  a  large  party  of 
Chippeways  visited  Fort  Snelling.  There  was  peace  be 
tween  them  and  the  Sioux.  Their  time  was  passed  in 
feasting  and  carousing  ;  their  canoes  together  flew  over  the 
waters  of  the  Mississippi.  The  young  Sioux  warriors 
found  strange  beauty  in  the  oval  faces  of  the  Chippeway 
girls ;  and  the  Chippeways  discovered  (what  was  actually 
the  case)  that  the  women  of  the  Dahcotahs  were  far  more 
graceful  than  those  of  their  own  nation. 

But  as  the  time  of  the  departure  of  the  Chippeways 
approached,  many  a  Chippeway  maiden  wept  when  she 
remembered  how  soon  she  would  bid  adieu  to  all  her  hopes 
of  happiness.  And  Flying  Shadow  was  saddest  of  them  all. 
She  would  gladly  have  given  up  everything  for  her  lover. 
What  were  home  and  friends  to  her  who  loved  with  all  the 
devotion  of  a  heart  untrammeled  by  forms,  fresh  from  the 
hand  of  nature  ?  She  listened  to  his  flute  in  the  still  even 
ing,  as  if  her  spirit  would  forsake  her  when  she  heard  it  no 
more.  She  would  sit  with  him  on  the  bluff  which  hung 
over  the  Mississippi,  and  envy  the  very  waters  which  would 
remain  near  him,  when  she  was  far  away.  But  her  lover 


124  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

loved  his  nation  even  more  than  he  did  her ;  and  though  he 
would  have  died  to  have  saved  her  from  sorrow,  yet  he 
knew  she  could  never  be  his  wife.  Even  were  he  to  marry 
her,  her  life  would  ever  be  in  danger.  A  Chippeway  could 
not  long  find  a  home  among  the  Dahcotahs. 

The  Track-maker  bitterly  regretted  that  they  had  ever 
met,  when  he  saw  her  grief  at  the  prospect  of  parting. 
"Let  us  go,"  he  said,  "to  the  Falls,  where  I  will  tell  you 
the  story  you  asked  me." 

The  Track-maker  entered  the  canoe  first,  and  the  girl 
followed ;  and  so  pleasant  was  the  task  of  paddling  her  lover 
over  the  quiet  waters,  that  it  seemed  but  a  moment  before 
they  were  in  sight  of  the  torrent. 

"  It  was  there,"  said  the  Sioux,  "  that  Wenona  and  her 
child  found  their  graves.  Her  husband,  accompanied  by 
some  other  Dahcotahs,  had  gone  some  distance  above  the 
falls  to  hunt.  While  there,  he  fell  in  love  with  a  young  girl 
whom  he  thought  more  beautiful  than  his  wife.  Wenona 
knew  that  she  must  no  longer  hope  to  be  loved  as  she  had 
been. 

"  The  Dahcotahs  killed  much  game,  and  then  broke  up 
their  camp  and  started  for  their  homes.  When  they  reached 
the  falls,  the  women  got  ready  to  carry  their  canoes  and 
baggage  round. 

"  But  Wenona  was  going  on  a  longer  journey.  She  would 
not  live  when  her  husband  loved  her  no  more,  and,  putting 
her  son  in  her  canoe,  she  soon  reached  the  island  that  divides 
the  falls. 

"  Then  she  put  on  all  her  ornaments,  as  if  she  were  a 
bride  ;  she  dressed  her  boy  too,  as  a  Dahcotah  warrior ;  she 
turned  to  look  once  more  at  her  husband,  who  was  helping 


OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM  ;   THE   TRACK-MAKER.  125 

his  second  wife  to  put  the  things  she  was  to  carry,  on  her 
back. 

"  Soon  her  husband  called  to  her  ;  she  did  not  answer  him, 
but  placed  her  child  high  up  in  the  canoe,  so  that  his  father 
could  see  him,  and  getting  in  herself  she  paddled  towards 
the  rapids. 

"Her  husband  saw  that  Unk-tahe  would  destroy  her,  and 
he  called  to  her  to  come  ashore.  But  he  might  have  called 
to  the  roaring  waters  as  well,  and  they  would  have  heeded 
him  as  soon  as  she. 

"  Still  he  ran  along  the  shore  with  his  arms  uplifted,  en 
treating  her  to  come  ashore. 

"Wenona  continued  her  course  towards  the  rapids — her 
voice  was  heard  above  the  waters  as  she  sang  her  death 
song.  Soon  the  mother  and  child  were  seen  no  more — the 
waters  covered  them.  • 

"But  her  spirit  wanders  near  this  place.  An  elk  and  fawn 
are  often  seen,  and  we  know  they  are  Wenona  and  her 
child." 

"Do  you  love  me  as  Wenona  loved?"  continued  the 
Sioux,  as  he  met  the  looks  of  the  young  girl  bent  upon 
him. 

"  I  will  not  live  when  I  see  you  no  more,"  she  replied. 
"  As  the  flowers  die  when  the  winter's  cold  falls  upon  them, 
so  will  my  spirit  depart  when  I  no  longer  listen  to  your 
voice.  But  when  I  go  to  the  land  of  spirits  I  shall  be  happy. 
My  spirit  will  return  to  earth  ;  but  it  will  be  always  near 
you." 

Little  didst  thou  dream  that  the  fate  of  Wenona  would 
be  less  sad  than  thine.  She  found  the  death  she  sought,  in 
the  waters  whose  bosom  opened  to  receive  her.  Bat  thou 


126  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

wilt  bid  adieu  to  earth  in  the  midst  of  the  battle — in  the 
very  presence  of  him,  for  whose  love  thou  wouldst  ven 
ture  all.  Thy  spirit  will  flee  trembling  from  the  shrieks  of 
the  dying  mother,  the  suffering  child.  Death  will  come  to 
thee  as  a  terror,  not  as  a  refuge. 


CHAPTER   II. 

WHEN  the  Chippeways  broke  up  their  camp  near  Fort 
Snelling,  they  divided  into  two  parties,  one  party  returning 
home  by  the  Mississippi,  the  other  by  way  of  the  St. 
Croix. 

They  parted  on -the  most  friendly  terms  with  the  Sioux, 
giving  presents,  and  receiving  them  in  return. 

Some  pillagers,  who  acknowledge  no  control,  had  accom 
panied  the  Chippeways.  These  pillagers  are  in  fact  high 
waymen  or  privateers — having  no  laws,  and  acting  from 
the  impulses  of  their  own  fierce  hearts. 

After  the  Chippeways  had  left,  the  pillagers  concealed 
themselves  in  a  path  near  Lake  Calhoun.  This  lake  is 
about  seven  miles  from  Fort  Snelling. 

Before  they  had  been  concealed  one  hour,  two  Dah- 
cotahs  passed,  father  and  son.  The  pillagers  fired,  and 
the  father  was  killed  instantly ;  but  the  son  escaped,  and 
made  his  way  home  in  safety.  The  boy  entered  the  vil 
lage  calling  for  his  mother,  to  tell  her  the  sad  news ;  her 
cries  of  grief  gave  the  alarm,  and  soon  the  death  of  the 
Sioux  was  known  throughout  the  village.  The  news  flew 


OYE-KAR-MANI-V1M ;   THE   TRACK-MAKER.  127 

from  village  to  village  on  the  wings  of  the  wind ;  Indian 
runners  were  seen  in  every  direction,  and  in  twenty-four 
hours  there  were  three  hundred  warriors  on  foot  in  pursuit 
of  the  Chippeways. 

Every  preparation  was  made  for  the  death-strife.  Not 
a  Sioux  warrior  but  vowed  he  would  with  his  own  arm 
avenge  the  death  of  his  friend.  The  very  tears  of  the  wife 
were  dried  when  the  hope  of  vengeance  cheered  her  heart. 

The  Track-maker  was  famous  as  a  warrior.  Already 
did  the  aged  Dahcotahs  listen  to  his  words  ;  for  he  was  both 
wise  and  brave.  He  was  among  the  foremost  to  lead  the 
Dahcotahs  against  the  Chippeways ;  and  though  he  longed 
to  raise  his  tomahawk  against  his  foes,  his  spirit  sunk 
within  him  when  he  remembered  the  girl  he  loved.  What 
will  be  her  fate !  Oh !  that  he  had  never  seen  her.  But 
it  was  no  time  to  think  of  her.  Duty  called  upon  him  to 
avenge  the  death  of  his  friend. 


CHAPTER   III. 

WOE  to  the  unsuspecting  Chippeways !  ignorant  of  the 
murder  that  had  been  committed,  they  were  leisurely  turn 
ing  their  steps  hpmeward,  while  the  pillagers  made  their 
escape  with  the  scalp  of  the  Dahcotah. 

The  Sioux  travelled  one  day  and  night  before  they  came 
up  with  the  Chippeways.  Nothing  could  quench  their 
thirst  but  blood.  And  the  women  and  children  must  suffer 
first.  The  savage  suffers  a  twofold  death  ;  before  his  own 


128  LEGENDS   OP   THE   SIOUX. 

turn  comes,  his  young  children  lie  breathless  around  him, 
their  mother  all  unconscious  by  their  side. 

The  Chippeways  continued  their  journey,  fearing  no 
thing.  They  had  camped  between  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony 
and  Rum  river;  they  were  refreshed,  and  the  men  pro 
ceeded  first,  leaving  their  women  and  children  to  follow. 
They  were  all  looking  forward  with  pleasure  to  seeing 
their  homes  again.  The  women  went  leisurely  along ; 
the  infant  slept  quietly — what  should  it  fear  close  to  its 
mother's  heart !  The  young  children  laughed  as  they  hid 
themselves  behind  the  forest  trees,  and  then  emerged  sud 
denly  to  frighten  the  others.  The  Chippeway  maidens 
rejoiced  when  they  remembered  that  their  rivals,  the  Dah- 
cotah  girls,  would  no  longer  seduce  their  lovers  from  their 
allegiance. 

Flying  Shadow  wept,  there  was  nothing  to  make  her  hap 
py,  she  would  see  the  Track-maker  no  more,  and  she  looked 
forward  to  death  as  the  end  of  her  cares.  She  concealed 
in  her  bosom  the  trinkets  he  had  given  her ;  every  feature 
of  his  face  was  written  on  her  heart — that  heart  that  beat 
only  for  him,  that  so  soon  would  cease  to  beat  at  all ! 

But  there  was  a  fearful  cry,  that  banished  even  him  from 
her  thoughts.  The  war-whoop  burst  suddenly  upon  the 
defenceless  women. 

Hundreds  of  Dahcotah  warriors  rose  up  to  blind  the 
eyes  of  the  terror-stricken  mothers.  Their  children  are 
scalped  before  their  eyes ;  their  infants  are  dashed  against 
the  rocks,  which  are  not  more  insensible  to  their  cries  than 
their  murderers. 

It  is  a  battle  of  strength  against  weakness.     Stern  war- 


OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM  ;   THE   TRACK-MAKER.  129 

rior,  it  needs  not  to  strike  the  mother  that  blow !  she  dies 
in  the  death  of  her  children.* 

The  maidens  clasp  their  small  hands — a  vain  appeal  to 
the  merciless  wretches,  who  see  neither  beauty  nor  grace, 
when  rage  and  revenge  are  in  their  hearts.  It  is  blood  they 
thirst  for,  and  the  young  and  innocent  fall  like  grass  before 
the  mower. 

Flying  Shadow  sees  her  lover !  he  is  advancing  towards 
her  !  What  does  his  countenance  say  ?  There  is  sadness 
in  his  face,  and  she  hopes — aye,  more  than  hopes — she 
knows  he  will  save  her.  With  all  a  woman's  trust  she 
throws  herself  in  his  arms.  "Save  me!  save  me!"  she 
cries;  "do  not  let  them  slay  me  before  your  eyes;  make 
me  your  prisoner  !t  you  said  that  you  loved  me,  spare 
my  life !" 

Who  shall  tell  his  agony  ?  For  a  moment  he  thought  he 
would  make  her  his  prisoner.  Another  moment's  reflection 
convinced  him  that  that  would  be  of  no  avail.  He  knew 
that  she  must  die,  but  he  could  not  take  her  life. 

Her  eyes  were  trustingly  turned  upon  him;  her  soft 
hand  grasped  his  arm.  But  the  Sioux  warriors  were 
pressing  upon  them,  he  gave  her  one  more  look,  he  touched 
her  with  his  spear,$»and  he  was  gone. 

And  Flying  Shadow  was  dead.    She  felt  not  the  blow  that 

*  The  Dahcotahs  believe,  or  many  of  them  believe,  that  each  body  has  four 
souls.  One  wanders  about  the  earth  and  requires  food ;  a  second  watches 
over  the  body ;  the  third  hovers  round  its  native  village,  while  the  fourth  goes 
to  the  land  of  spirits. 

f  When  the  Sioux  are  tired  of  killing,  they  sometimes  take  their  victims 
prisoners,  and,  generally  speaking,  treat  them  with  great  kindness. 

|  When  a  Dahcotah  touches  an  enemy  with  his  spear,  he  is  privileged  to 
wear  a  feather  of  honor,  as  if  he  had  taken  a  scalp. 


130  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

sent  her  reeling  to  the  earth.  Her  lover  had  forsaken  her 
in  the  hour  of  danger,  and  what  could  she  feel  after  that  ? 

The  scalp  was  torn  from  her  head  by  one  of  those  who 
had  most  admired  her  beauty ;  and  her  body  was  trampled 
upon  by  the  very  warriors  who  had  so  envied  her  lover. 

The  shrieks  of  the  dying  women  reached  the  ears  of  their 
husbands  and  brothers.  Quickly  did  they  retrace  their 
steps,  and  when  they  reached  the  spot,  they  bravely  stood 
their  ground ;  but  the  Dahcotahs  were  too  powerful  for 
them, — terrible  was  the  struggle  ! 

The  Dahcotahs  continued  the  slaughter,  and  the  Chip- 
peways  were  obliged  at  last  to  give  way.  One  of  the 
Chippeways  seized  his  frightened  child  and  placed  him 
upon  his  back.  His  wife  lay  dead  at  his  feet ;  with  his 
child  clinging  to  him,  he  fought  his  way  through. 

Two  of  the  Dahcotahs  followed  him,  for  he  was  flying 
fast ;  and  they  feared  he  would  soon  be  out  of  their  power. 
They  thought,  as  they  nearly  came  up  to  him,  that  he  would 
loose  his  hold  on  his  child  ;  but  the  father's  heart  was  strong 
within  him.  He  flies,  and  the  Sioux  are  close  upon  his 
heels !  He  fires  and  kills  one  of  them.  The  other  Sioux 
follows  :  he  has  nothing  to  encumber  him — he  must  be  victor 
in  such  an  unequal  contest.  But  the  loVe  that  was  stronger 
than  death  nerved  the  father's  arm.  He  kept  firing,  and 
the  Sioux  retreated.  The  Chippeway  and  his  young  son 
reached  their  home  in  safety,  there  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
others  whom  they  loved. 

The  sun  set  upon  a  bloody  field ;  the  young  and  old  lay 
piled  together  ;  the  hearts  that  had  welcomed  the  breaking 
of  the  day  were  all  unconscious  of  its  close. 

The  Sioux   were   avenged ;    and   the  scalps   that   they 


OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM  ;   THE   TRACK-MAKER.  131 


brought  home  (nearly  one  hundred  when  the  party  joined 
them  from  the  massacre  at  Saint  Croix)  bore  witness  to 
their  triumph. 

The  other  party  of  Sioux  followed  the  Chippeways  who 
had  gone  by  way  of  the  St.  Croix.  While  the  Chip 
peways  slept,  the  war-cry  of  the  Sioux  aroused  them. 
And  though  they  fought  bravely,  they  suffered  as  did  their 
friends,  and  the  darkness  of  night  added  terror  to  the  scene. 

The  Dahcotahs  returned  with  the  scalps  to  their  villages, 
and  as  they  entered  triumphantly,  they  were  greeted  with 
shouts  of  applause.  The  scalps  were  divided  among  the 
villages,  and  joyful  preparations  were  made  to  celebrate  the 
scalp-dance. 

The  scalps  were  stretched  upon  hoops,  and  covered  with 
vermilion,  ornamented  with  feathers,  ribbons  and  trinkets. 

On  the  women's  scalps  were  hung  a  comb,  or  a  pair  of 
scissors,  and  for  months  did  the  Dahcotah  women  dance 
around  them.  The  men  wore  mourning  for  their  enemies, 
as  is  the  custom  among  the  Dahcotahs. 

When  the  dancing  was  done,  the  scalps  were  buried  with 
the  deceased  relatives  of  the  Sioux  who  took  them. 

And  this  is  Indian,  but  what  is  Christian  warfare  ?  The 
wife  of  the  hero  lives  to  realize  her  wretchedness  ;  the  honors 
paid  by  his  countrymen  are  a  poor  recompense  for  the  loss 
of  his  love  and  protection.  The  life  of  the  child  too,  is  safe, 
but  who  will  lead  him  in  the  paths  of  virtue,  when  his 
mother  has  gone  down  to  the  grave. 

Let  us  not  hear  of  civilized  warfare !  It  is  all  the  work 
of  the  spirits  of  evil.  God  did  not  make  man  to  slay  his 
brother,  and  the  savage  alone  can  present  an  excuse.  The 
Dahcotah  dreams  not  that  it  is  wrong  to  resent  an  injury 


132  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

to  the  death ;  but  the  Christian  knows  that  God  has  said, 
Vengeance  is  mine ! 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  Track-maker  had  added  to  his  fame.  He  had  taken 
many  scalps,  and  the  Dahcotah  maidens  welcomed  him  as 
a  hero — as  one  who  would  no  longer  refuse  to  acknowledge 
the  power  of  their  charms.  They  asked  him  eagerly  of  the 
fight — whom  he  had  killed  first — but  they  derived  but  little 
satisfaction  from  his  replies.  They  found  he  resisted  their 
advances,  and  they  left  him  to  his  gloomy  thoughts. 

Every  scene  he  looked  upon  added  to  his  grief.  Memory 
clung  to  him,  recalling  every  word  and  look  of  Flying 
Shadow.  But  that  last  look,  could  he  ever  forget  it  ? 

He  tried  to  console  himself  with  the  thoughts  of  his 
triumph.  Alas  !  her  smile  was  sweeter  than  the  recollec 
tion  of  revenge.  He  had  waded  in  the  blood  of  his  ene 
mies;  he  had  trampled  upon  the  hearts  of  the  men  he 
hated ;  but  he  had  broken  the  heart  of  the  only  woman  he 
had  ever  loved. 

In  the  silence  of  the  night  her  death-cry  sounded  in  his 
ear ;  and  he  would  start  as  if  to  flee  from  the  sound.  In 
his  dreams  he  saw  again  that  trustful  face,  that  look  of 
appeal — and  then  the  face  of  stone,  when  she  saw  that  she 
had  appealed  in  vain. 

He  followed  the  chase,  but  there  he  could  not  forget  the 
battle  scene.  "Save  me!  save  meJ"  forever  whispered 


OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM ;   THE   TRACK-MAKER.  133 

every  forest  leaf,  or  every  flowing  wave.  Often  did  he  hear 
her  calling  him,  and  he  would  stay  his  steps  as  if  he  hoped 
to  meet  her  smile. 

The  medicine  men  offered  to  cure  his  disease ;  but  he 
knew  that  it  was  beyond  their  art,  and  he  cared  not  how 
soon  death  came,  nor  in  what  form. 

He  met  the  fate  he  sought.  A  war  party  was  formed 
among  the  Dahcotahs  to  seek  more  scalps,  more  revenge. 
But  the  Track-maker  was  weary  of  glory. 

He  went  with  the  party,  and  never  returned.  Like  her, 
he  died  in  battle ;  but  the  death  that  she  sought  to  avert, 
was  a  welcome  messenger  to  him.  He  felt  that  in  the 
grave  all  would  be  forgotten. 


ETA    KEAZAH; 

OR, 

SULLEN   FACE. 


WENONA  was  the  light  of  her  father's  wigwam — the  pride 
of  the  band  of  Sissetons,  whose  village  is  on  the  shores  of 
beautiful  Lake  Travers.  However  cheerfully  the  fire  might 
burn  in  the  dwelling  of  the  aged  chief,  there  was  darkness 
for  him  when  she  was  away — and  the  mother's  heart  was 
always  filled  with  anxiety,  for  she  knew  that  Wenona  had 
drawn  upon  her  the  envy  of  her  young  companions,  and 
she  feared  that  some  one  of  them  would  cast  a  spell*  upon 
her  child,  that  her  loveliness  might  be  dimmed  by  sorrow 
or  sickness. 

The  warriors  of  the  band  strove  to  outdo  each  other  in 
noble  deeds,  that  they  might  feel  more  worthy  to  claim  her 
hand ; — while  the  hunters  tried  to  win  her  good  will  by 
presents  of  buffalo  and  deer.  But  Wenona  thought  not 
yet  of  love.  The  clear  stream  that  reflected  her  form  told 
her  she  was  beautiful;  yet  her  brother  was  the  bravest 
warrior  of  the  Sissetons ;  and  her  aged  parents  too — was 
not  their  love  enough  to  satisfy  her  heart !  Never  did 
brother  and  sister  love  each  other  more  ;  their  features 

*  The  Indians  fear  that  from  envy  or  jealousy  some  person  may  cast  a  fatal 
spell  upon  them  to  produce  sickness,  or  even  death.  This  superstition  seems 
almost  identical  with  the  Obi  or  Obeat  of  the  West  India  negroes. 


ETA  KEAZAH;  OR,  SULLEN  FACE.          135 

were  the  same,  yet  man's  sternness  in  him  was  changed  to 
woman's  softness  in  her.  The  "  glance  of  the  falcon"  in 
his  eye  was  the  "  gaze  of  the  dove"  in  hers.  But  at  times 
the  expression  of  his  face  would  make  you  wonder  that  you 
ever  could  have  thought  him  like  his  twin  sister. 

When  he  heard  the  Sisseton  braves  talk  of  the  hunts 
they  had  in  their  youth,  before  the  white  man  drove  them 
from  the  hunting-grounds  of  their  forefathers ; — when  in 
stead  of  the  blanket  they  wore  the  buffalo  robe ; — when 
happiness  and  plenty  were  in  their  wigwams — and  when 
the  voices  of  weak  women  and  famished  children  were 
never  heard  calling  for  food  in  vain — then  the  longing  for 
vengeance  that  was  written  on  his  countenance,  the  im 
precations  that  were  breathed  from  his  lips,  the  angry 
scowl,  the  lightning  from  his  eye,  all  made  him  unlike  in 
deed  to  his  sister,  the  pride  of  the  Sissetons ! 

When  the  gentle  breeze  would  play  among  the  prairie 
flowers,  then  would  she  win  him  from  such  bitter  thoughts. 
"  Come,  my  brother,  we  will  go  and  sit  by  the  banks  of 
the  lake,  why  should  you  be  unhappy  !  the  buffalo  is  still 
to  be  found  upon  our  hunting-grounds — the  spirit  of  the 
lake  watches  over  us — we  shall  not  want  for  food." 

He  would  go,  because  she  asked  him.  The  quiet  and 
beauty  of  nature  were  not  for  him ;  rather  would  he  have 
stood  alone  when  the  storm  held  its  sway ;  when  the  dark 
ness  was  only  relieved  by  the  flash  that  laid  the  tall  trees  of 
the  forest  low ;  when  the  thunder  bird  clapped  her  wings  as 
she  swept  through  the  clouds  above  him.  But  could  he 
refuse  to  be  happy  when  Wenona  smiled  ?  Alas !  that 
her  gentle  spirit  should  not  always  have  been  near  to 
soften  his ! 

5* 


136  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

But  as  the  beauty  and  warmth  of  summer  passed  away, 
so  did  Wenona's  strength  begin  to  fail ;  the  autumn  wind, 
that  swept  rudely  over  the  prairie  flowers,  so  that  they  could 
not  lift  their  heads  above  the  tall  grass,  seemed  to  pass  in 
anger  over  the  wigwam  of  the  old  man — for  the  eye  of  the 
Dahcotah  maiden  was  losing  its  brightness,  and  her  step 
was  less  firm,  as  she  wandered  with  her  brother  in  her 
native  woods.  Vainly  did  the  medicine  men  practice  their 
cherished  rites — the  Great  Spirit  had  called — and  who 
could  refuse  to  hear  his  voice  ?  she  faded  with  the  leaves — 
and  the  cries  of  the  mourners  were  answered  by  the 
wailing  winds,  as  they  sang  her  requiem. 

A  few  months  passed  away,  and  her  brother  was  alone. 
The  winter  that  followed  his  sister's  death,  was  a  severe 
one.  The  mother  had  never  been  strong,  and  she  soon  fol 
lowed  her  daughter — while  the  father's  age  unfitted  him  to 
contend  with  sorrow,  infirmity,  and  want. 

Spring  returned,  but  winter  had  settled  on  the  heart  of 
the  young  Sisseton ;  she  was  gone  who  alone  could  drive 
away  the  shadow  from  his  brow,  what  wonder  then  that 
his  countenance  should  always  be  stern.  The  Indians 
called  him  Eta  Keazah,  or  Sullen  Face. 

But  after  the  lapse  of  years,  the  boy,  who  brooded  over 
the  wrongs  of  his  father,  eagerly  seeks  an  opportunity  to 
avenge  his  own.  His  sister  has  never  been  forgotten  ;  but 
he  remembers  her  as  we  do  a  beautiful  dream ;  and  she  is 
the  spirit  that  hovers  round  him  while  his  eyes  are  closed 
in  sleep. 

But  there  are  others  who  hold  a  place  in  his  heart.  His 
wife  is  always  ready  to  receive  him  with  a  welcome,  and 
his  young  son  calls  upon  him  to  teach  him  to  send  the 


ETA   KEAZAH;   OR,    SULLEN   FACE.  137 

arrow  to  the  heart  of  the  buffalo.  But  the  sufferings  of  his 
tribe,  from  want  of  food  and  other  privations,  are  ever  before 
his  eyes.  Vengeance  upon  the  white  man,  who  has  caused 
them! 


CHAPTER    II. 

WINTER  is  the  season  of  trial  for  the  Sioux,  especially 
for  the  women  and  children.  The  incursions  of  the  English 
half-breeds  and  Cree  Indians,  into  the  Sisseton  country, 
have  caused  their  buffalo  to  recede,  and  so  little  other  game 
is  to  be  found,  that  indescribable  sufferings  are  endured 
every  winter  by  the  Sissetons.  ,- 

Starvation  forces  the  hunters  to  seek  for  the  buffalo  in 
the  depth  of  winter.  Their  families  must  accompany 
them,  for  they  have  not  the  smallest  portion  of  food  to 
leave  with  them ;  and  who  will  protect  them  from  the 
Chippeways ! 

However  inclement  the  season,  their  home  must  be  for  a 
time  on  the  open  prairie.  As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  it 
is  a  desert  of  snow.  Not  a  stick  of  timber  can  be  seen. 
A  storm  is  coming  on  too ;  nothing  is  heard  but  the  howl 
ing  blast,  which  mocks  the  cries  of  famished  children. 
The  drifting  of  the  snow  makes  it  impossible  to  see  what 
course  they  are  to  take ;  they  have  only  to  sit  down  and 
let  the  snow  fall  upon  them.  It  is  a  relief  when  they  are 
quite  covered  with  it,  for  it  shelters  them  from  the  keen 
ness  of  the  blast ! 


138  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

Alas !  for  the  children ;  the  cry  of  those  who  can  speak 
is,  Give  me  food !  while  the  dying  infant  clings  to  its  mother's 
breast,  seeking  to  draw,  with  its  parting  breath,  the  means 
of  life. 

But  the  storm  is  over ;  the  piercing  cold  seizes  upon  the 
exhausted  frames  of  the  sufferers. 

The  children  have  hardly  strength  to  stand ;  the  father 
places  one  upon  his  back  and  goes  forward ;  the  mother 
wraps  her  dead  child  in  her  blanket,  and  lays  it  in  the 
snow  ;  another  is  clinging  to  her,  she  has  no  time  to  weep 
for  the  dead ;  nature  calls  upon  her  to  make  an  effort  for 
the  living.  She  takes  her  child  and  follows  the  rest.  It 
would  be  a  comfort  to  her,  could  she  hope  to  find  her 
infant's  body  when  summer  returns  to  bury  it.  She 
shudders,  and  remembers  that  the  wolves  of  the  prairie  are 
,  starving  too ! 

Food  is  found  at  last ;  the  strength  of  the  buffalo  yields 
to  the  arrow  of  the  Sioux.  We  will  have  food  and  not  die, 
is  the  joyful  cry  of  all,  and  when  their  fierce  appetites  are 
appeased,  they  carry  with  them  on  their  return  to  their 
village,  the  skins  of  the  animals  with  the  remainder  of  the 
meat. 

The  sufferings  of  famine  and  fatigue,  however,  are  fol 
lowed  by  those  of  disease ;  the  strength  of  many  is  laid 
low.  They  must  watch,  too,  for  their  enemies  are  at 
hand. 


ETA  KEAZAH;  OR,  SULLEN  FACE.         139 


CHAPTER   III. 

IN  the  summer  of  1844  a  large  party  of  half-breeds  and 
Indians  from  Red  river, — English  subjects,^ — trespassed 
upon  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Sioux.  There  were  sev 
eral  hundred  hunters,  and  many  carts  drawn  by  oxen  for 
the  purpose  of  carrying  away  the  buffalo  they  had  killed. 
One  of  this  party  had  left  his  companions,  and  was  riding 
alone  at  some  distance  from  them.  A  Dahcotah  knew  that 
his  nation  would  suffer  from  the  destruction  of  their  game 
— fresh  in  his  memory,  too,  were  the  sufferings  of  the  past 
winter.  What  wonder  then  that  the  arrow  which  was  in 
tended  for  the  buffalo,  should  find  its  way  to  the  heart  of 
the  trespasser  ! 

This  act  enraged  the  half-breeds  ;  they  could  not  find 
the  Sioux  who  committed  it — but  a  few  days  after  they  fell 
in  with  a  party  of  others,  who  were  also  hunting,  and  killed 
seven  of  them.  The  "rest  escaped,  and  carried  the  news  of 
the  death  of  their  braves  to  their  village.  One  of  the  killed 
was  a  relative  of  Sullen  Face.  The  sad  news  spread  rapidly 
through  the  village,  and  nothing  was  heard  but  lamenta 
tion.  The  women  cut  long  gashes  on  their  arms,  and  as 
the  blood  flowed  from  the  wound  they  would  cry,  Where  is 
my  husband  ?  my  son  ?  my  brother  ? 

Soon  the  cry  of  revenge  is  heard  above  that  of  lamenta 
tion.  "  It  is  not  possible,"  said  Sullen  Face,  "  that  we  can 
allow  these  English  to  starve  us,  and  take  the  lives  of  our 
warriors.  They  have  taken  from  us  the  food  that  would 


140  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

nourish  our  wives  and  children  ;  and  more,  they  have  killed 
seven  of  our  bravest  men !  we  will  have  revenge — we  will 
watch  for  them,  and  bring  home  their  scalps, "that  our  women 
may  dance  round  them  !" 

A  war  party  was  soon  formed,  and  Sullen  Face,  at  the 
head  of  more  than  fifty  warriors,  stationed  himself  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  road  by  which  the  half-breeds  from  Red 
river  drive  their  cattle  to  Fort  Snelling. 

Some  days  after,  there  was  an  unusual  excitement  in  the 
Sioux  village  on  Swan  lake,  about  twenty  miles  northwest  of 
Traverse  des  Sioux.  A  number  of  Indians  were  gazing  at 
an  object  not  very  distant,  and  in  order  to  discover  what  it 
was,  the  chief  of  the  village,  Sleepy  Eyes,  had  sent  one  of 
his  young  men  out,  while  the  rest  continued  to  regard  it 
with  looks  of  curiosity  and  awe. 

They  observed  that  as  the  Sioux  approached  it,  he  slack 
ened  his  pace,  when  suddenly  he  gave  a  loud  cry  and  ran 
towards  the  village. 

He  soon  reached  them,  and  pale  with  terror,  exclaimed, 
"It  is  a  spirit,  it  is  white  as  the  snow  that  covers  our 
prairies  in  the  winter.  It  looked  at  me  and  spoke  not." 
For  a  short  time,  his  fears  infected  the  others,  but  after  a 
while  several  determined  to  go  and  bring  a  more  satisfactory 
report  to  their  chief.  They  returned  with  the  body,  as  it 
seemed  only,  of  a  white  man  ;  worn  to  a  skeleton,  with  his 
feet  cut  and  bleeding,  unable  to  speak  from  exhaustion  ; 
nothing  but  the  beating  of  his  heart  told  that  he  lived. 

The  Indian  women  dressed  his  feet,  and  gave  him  food, 
wiped  the  blood  from  his  limbs,  and,  after  a  consultation, 
they  agreed  to  send  word  to  the  missionaries  at  Traverse 


ETA  KEAZAH;   OR,   SULLEN   PACE.  141 

des  Sioux,  that  there  was  a  white  man  sick  and  suffering 
with  them. 

The  missionaries  came  immediately ;  took  the  man  to 
their  home,  and  with  kind  nursing  he  was  soon  able  to 
account  for  the  miserable  situation  in  which  he  had  been 
found. 

"  We  left  the  state  of  Missouri,"  said  the  man,  whose 
name  was  Bennett,  "  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  cattle  to 
Fort  Snelling.  My  companions'  names  were  Watson  and 
Turner.  We  did  not  know  the  road,  but  supposed  a  map 
would  guide  us,  with  what  information  we  could  get  on  the 
way.  We  lost  our  way,  however,  and  were  eagerly  looking 
for  some  person  who  could  set  us  right.  Early  one  morn 
ing  some  Sioux  came  up  with  us,  and  seemed  inclined  to 
join  our  party.  One  of  them  left  hastily  as  if  sent  on  a 
message  ;  after  a  while  a  number  of  warriors,  accompanied 
by  the  Indian  who  had  left  the  first  party,  came  towards 
us.  Their  leader  had  a  dark  countenance,  and  seemed  to 
have  great  influence  over  them.  We  tried  to  make  them 
understand  that  we  had  lost  our  way  ;  we  showed  them 
the  map,  but  they  did  not  comprehend  us. 

"  After  angrily  addressing  his  men  for  a  few  moments,  the 
leader  shot  Watson  through  the  shoulder,  and  another  sent 
an  arrow  through  his  body  and  killed  him.  They  then 
struck  Watson's  brother  and  wounded  him. 

"  In  the  mean  time  the  other  Indians  had  been  killing  our 
cattle  ;  and  some  of  the  animals  having  run  away,  they 
made  Watson,  who  was  sadly  bruised  with  the  blows  he 
had  received  from  them,  mount  a  horse  and  go  with  them 
to  hunt  the  rest  of  the  cattle.  We  never  heard  of  him 
.again.  The  Indians  say  he  disappeared  from  among  the 


142  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

bushes,  and  they  could  not  find  him ;  but  the  probability  is 
that  they  killed  him.  Some  seemed  to  wish  to  kill  Turner 
and  myself — but  after  a  while  they  told  us  to  go,  giving  us 
our  horses  and  a  little  food.  We  determined  to  retrace  our 
steps.  It  was  the  best  thing  we  could  do  ;  but  our  horses 
gave  out,  and  we  were  obliged  to  leave  them  and  proceed 
on  foot. 

"  We  were  soon  out  of  provisions,  and  having  no  means 
of  killing  game,  our  hearts  began  to  fail  us.  Turner  was 
unwell,  and  on  arriving  at  a  branch  of  Crow  river,  about 
one  hundred  miles  northwest  of  Fort  Snelling,  he  found 
himself  unable  to  swim.  I  tried  to  carry  him  across  on  my 
back,  but  could  not  do  it ;  he  was  drowned,  and  I  barely 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore.  After  resting,  I  proceeded 
on  my  journey.  When  I  came  in  sight  of  the  Indian  vil 
lage,  much  as  I  needed  food  and  rest,  I  dreaded  to  show 
myself,  for  fear  of  meeting  Watson's  fate.  I  was  spared  the 
necessity  of  deciding.  I  fainted  and  fell  to  the  ground. 
They  found  me,  and  proved  kinder  than  I  anticipated. 

"  Why  they  should  have  molested  us  I  know  not.  There 
is  something  in  it  that  I  do  not  understand." 

But  it  is  easily  explained.  Sullen  Face  supposed  them  to 
belong  to  the  party  that  had  killed  his  friends,  and  through 
this  error  he  had  shed  innocent  blood. 


ETA  KEAZAH;   OR,   SULLEN    FACE.  143 


CHAPTER    IV. 

WHO  that  has  seen  Fort  Snelling  will  not  bear  testimony 
to  its  beautiful  situation !  Whichever  way  we  turn,  na 
ture  calls  for  our  admiration.  But  beautiful  as  it  is  by 
day,  it  is  at  night  that  its  majesty  and  loveliness  speak  to 
the  soul.  Look  to  the  north,  (while  the  Aurora  Borealis  is 
flashing  above  us,  and  the  sound  of  the  waters  of  St.  An 
thony's  Falls  meets  the  ear,)  the  high  bluffs  of  the  Missis 
sippi  seem  to  guard  its  waters  as  they  glide  along.  To  the 
south,  the  St.  Peter's  has  wandered  off,  preferring  gentle 
prairies  to  rugged  cliffs.  -To  the  east  we  see  the  "  meeting 
of  the  waters  ;"  gladly  as  the  returning  child  meets  the  wel 
coming  smile  of  the  parent,  do  the  waves  of  the  St.  Peter's 
flow  into  the  Mississippi.  On  the  west,  there  is  prairie  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach. 

But  it  is  to  the  free  only  that  nature  is  beautiful.  Can 
the  prisoner  gaze  with  pleasure  on  the  brightness  of  the 
sky,  or  listen  to  the  rippling  of  the  waves  ?  they  make  him 
feel  his  fetters  the  more. 

I  am  here,  with  my  heavy  chain ! 

And  I  look  on  a  torrent  sweeping  by, 

And  an  eagle  rushing  to  the  sky, 
And  a  host  to  its  battle  plain. 

Must  I  pine  in  my  fetters  here  ! 

Wkh  the  wild  wave's  foam  and  the  free  bird's  flight, 

And  the  tall  spears  glancing  on  my  sight. 
And  the  trumpet  in  mine  ear  1 


144  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

The  summer  of  1845  found  Sullen  Face  a  prisoner  at 
Fort  Snelling.  Government  having  been  informed  of  the 
murder  of  Watson  by  two  Dahcotah  Indians,  orders  were 
received  at  Fort  Snelling  that  two  companies  should  pro 
ceed  to  the  Sisseton  country,  and  take  the  murderers,  that 
they  might  be  tried  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 

Now  for  excitement,  the  charm  of  garrison  life.  Officers 
are  of  course  always  ready  to  "  go  where  glory  waits"  them, 
but  who  ever  heard  of  one  being  ready  to  go  when  the  order 
came  ? 

Alas  !  for  the  young  officer  who  has  a  wife  to  leave ;  it 
will  be  weeks  before  he  meets  again  her  gentle  smile ! 

Still  more — alas  for  him  who  has  no  wife  at  all !  for  he 
has  not  a  shirt  with  buttons  on  it,  and  most  of  what  he  has 
are  in  the  wash.  He  will  have  to  borrow  of  Selden  ;  but 
here's  the  difficulty,  Selden  is  going  too,  and  is  worse  off 
than  himself.  But  no  matter !  what  with  pins  and  twine 
and  trusting  to  chance,  they  will  get  along. 

Then  the  married  men  are  inquiring  for  tin  reflectors, 
for  hard  bread,  though  healthy,  is  never  tempting.  India 
rubber  cloaks  are  in  requisition  too. 

Those  who  are  going,  claim  the  doctor  in  case  of  accidents. 
Those  who  stay,  their  wives  at  least,  want  him  for  fear 
of  measles;  while  the  disciple  of  Esculapius,  though  he 
knows  there  will  be  better  cooking  if  he  remain  at  home,  is 
certain  there  will  be  food  for  fun  if  he  go.  It  is  soon  de 
cided — the  doctor  goes. 

Then  the  privates  share  in  the  pleasure  of  the  day.  How 
should  a  soldier  be  employed  but  in  active  service  ?  besides, 
what  a  capital  chance  to  desert !  One,  who  is  tired  of  call 
ing  "  All's  well"  through  the  long  night,  with  only  the 


ETA  KEAZAH;  OR,  SULLEN  FACE.         145 


rocks  and  trees  to  hear  him,  hopes  that  it  will  be  his  happy 
fate  to  find  out  there  is  danger  near,  and  to  give  the  alarm. 
Another  vows,  that  if  trouble  wont  come,  why  he  will 
bring  it  by  quarrelling  with  the  first  rascally  Indian  he 
meets.  All  is  ready.  Rations  are  put  up  for  the  men  ; — 
hams,  buffalo  tongues,  pies  and  cake  for  the  officers.  The 
battalion  marches  out  to  the  sound  of  the  drum  and  fife  ; — 
they  are  soon  down  the  hill — they  enter  their  boats ;  hand 
kerchiefs  are  waved  from  the  fort,  caps  are  raised  and 
flourished  over  the  water — they  are  almost  out  of  sight — 
they  are  gone. 

When  the  troops  reached  their  destination,  Sullen  Face 
and  Forked  Horn  were  not  there,  but  the  chief  gave  them 
three  of  his  warriors,  (who  were  with  the  party  of  Sullen 
Face  at  the  time  of  the  murder,)  promising  that  when  the 
two  murderers  returned  they  would  come  to  Fort  Snelling, 
and  give  themselves  up. 

There  was  nothing  then  to  prevent  the  immediate  return 
of  our  troops.  Their  tramp  had  been  a  delightful  one,  and 
so  far  success  had  crowned  their  expedition.  They  were  in 
the  highest  spirits.  But  a  little  incident  occurred  on  their 
return,  that  was  rather  calculated  to  show  the  transitori- 
ness  of  earthly  joys.  One  dark  night,  when  those  who  were 
awake  were  thinking,  and  those  who  slept  were  dreaming 
of  their  welcome  home,  there  was  evidently  a  disturbance. 
The  sleepers  roused  themselves ;  guns  were  discharged. 
What  could  it  be? 

The  cause  was  soon  ascertained.  To  speak  poetically, 
the  birds  had  flown — in  plain  language,  the  prisoners  had 
run  away.  They  were  not  bound,  their  honor  had  been 
trusted  to; — but  you  cannot  place  much  reliance  on  the 

7 


146  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 


honor  of  an  Indian  with  a  prison  in  prospect.  I  doubt  if  a 
white  man  could  be  trusted  under  such  circumstances. 
True,  there  was  a  guard,  but,  as  I  said,  'twas  a  dark 
night. 

The  troops  returned  in  fine  health,  covered  with  dust  and 
fleas,  if  not  with  glory. 


CHAPTER    V. 

IT  is  time  to  return  to  Sullen  Face.  He  and  Forked 
Horn,  on  their  return  to  the  village,  were  informed  of  what 
had  occurred  during  their  absence.  They  offered  to  fulfil 
the  engagement  of  the  chief,  and  accompanied  by  others  of 
the  band,  they  started  for  Fort  Snelling.  The  wife  of 
Sullen  Face  had  insisted  upon  accompanying  him,  and 
influenced  by  a  presentiment  that  he  should  never  return  to 
his  native  village,  he  allowed  her  to  do  so.  Their  little  boy 
quite  forgot  his  fatigue  as  he  listened  to  his  father's  voice, 
and  held  his  hand.  When  they  were  near  the  fort,  notice 
of  their  approach  was  sent  to  the  commanding  officer. 

The  entire  force  of  the  garrison  marched  out  to  receive 
the  prisoners.  A  large  number  of  Indians  assembled  to 
witness  the  scene — their  gay  dresses  and  wild  appearance 
adding  to  its  interest. 

Sullen  Face  and  Forked  Horn,  with  the  Sioux  who  had 
accompanied  them,  advanced  to  meet  the  battalion.  The 
little  boy  dressed  as  a  warrior,  his  war-eagle  plumes  waving 
proudly  over  his  head,  held  his  father's  hand.  In  a  moment 


ETA  KEAZAH;   OR,   SULLEN   FACE.  147 

the  iron  grasp  of  the  soldier  was  on  the  prisoner's  shoulder ; 
they  entered  the  gate  of  the  fort ;  and  he,  who  had  felt  that 
the  winds  of  Heaven  were  not  more  free  than  a  Dahcotah 
warrior,  was  now  a  prisoner  in  the  power  of  the  white  man. 
But  he  entered  not  his  cell  until  he  had  sung  a  warrior's 
song.  Should  his  enemies  think  that  he  feared  them  ?  Had 
he  not  yielded  himself  up  ? 

It  was  hard  to  be  composed  in  parting  with  his  wife  and 
child.  "  Go  my  son,"  he  said,  "  you  will  soon  be  old  enough 
to  kill  the  buffalo  for  your  mother."  But  to  his  wife  he 
only  said,  "  I  have  done  no  wrong,  and  fear  not  the  power 
of  my  enemies."  The  Sissetons  returned  to  the  village, 
leaving  the  prisoners  at  Fort  Snelling,  until  they  should  be 
sent  to  Dubuque  for  trial. 

They  frequently  walked  about  the  fort,  accompanied  by 
a  guard.  Sullen  Face  seemed  to  be  indifferent  to  his  fate, 
and  was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  he  never  would  return 
to  his  home.  "  Beautiful  country  !"  said  he,  as  he  gazed 
towards  the  point  where  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and 
St.  Peter's  meet.  "  I  shall  never  look  upon  you  again, 
the  waters  of  the  rivers  unite,  but  I  have  parted  forever 
from  country  and  friends.  My  spirit  tells  me  so.  Then 
welcome  death  !  they  guard  me  now  with  sword  and  bay 
onet,  but  the  soul  of  the  Dahcotah  is  free." 

After  their  removal  to  Dubuque,  the  two  prisoners  from 
Fort  Snelling,  with  others  who  had  been  concerned  in  the 
murder,  suffered  much  from  sickness.  Sullen  Face  would 
not  complain,  but  the  others  tried  to  induce  him  to  make 
his  escape.  He,  at  first,  refused  to  do  so,  but  finding  his 
companions  determined  upon  going,  he  at  last  consented. 

Their  plans  succeeded,  and  after  leaving  the  immediate 


148  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

neighborhood,  they  broke  their  shackles  with  stones.  They 
were  obliged,  however,  to  hide  themselves  for  a  time  among 
the  rocks,  to  elude  the  sheriff  and  his  party.  They  were 
not  taken,  and  as  soon  as  they  deemed  it  prudent,  they  re 
sumed  their  route. 

Two  of  the  prisoners  died  near  Prairie  du  Chien.  Sullen 
Face,  Forked  Horn,  and  another  Sioux,  pursued  their 
journey  with  difficulty,  for  they  were  near  perishing  from 
want  of  food.  They  found  a  place  where  the  Winnebagoes 
had  encamped,  and  they  parched  the  corn  that  lay  scattered 
on  the  ground. 

Disease  had  taken  a  strong  hold  upon  the  frame  of  Sullen 
Face ;  he  constantly  required  the  assistance  of  his  com 
panions.  When  they  were  near  Prairie  le  Gros,  he  became 
so  ill  that  he  was  unable  to  proceed.  He  insisted  upon  his 
friends  leaving  him  ;  this  they  at  first  refused  to  do,  but 
fearing  that  they  would  be  found  and  carried  back  to  prison, 
they  consented — and  the  dying  warrior  found  himself  alone. 

Some  Indians  who  were  passing  by  saw  him  and  gently 
carried  him  to  their  wigwam.  But  he  heeded  not  their 
kindness.  Death  had  dimned  the  brightness  of  his  eye,  and 
his  fast-failing  strength  told  of  the  long  journey  to  the 
spirits'  land. 

"  It  was  not  thus,"  he  said,  "  that  I  thought  to  die  ! 
Where  are  the  warriors  of  the  Sissetons  ?  Do  they  listen 
to  my  death  song  ?  I  hoped  to  have  triumphed  over  the 
white  man,  but  his  power  has  prevailed.  My  spirit  drooped 
within  his  hated  walls  ?  But  hark  !  there  is  music  in  my 
ears — 'tis  the  voice  of  the  sister  of  my  youth — "  Come 
with  me  my  brother,  we  wait  for  you  in  the  house  of  the 
spirits  !  we  will  sit  by  the  banks  of  a  lake  more  beautiful 


ETA   KEAZAH;    OR,    SULLEN    FACE.  149 

than  that  by  which  we  wandered  in  our  childhood  ;  you 
will  roam  over  the  hunting  grounds  of  your  forefathers,  and 
there  the  white  man  may  never  come." 

His  eyes  are  closing  fast  in  death,  but  his  lips  murmur — 
"  Wenona !  I  come  !  I  come  !" 


TONWA-YAH.PE.KIN; 

THE    SPIES. 

CHAPTER   I. 

IT  was  in  the  spring  of  1848,  that  several  Dahcotahs 
were  carefully  making  their  way  along  the  forests  near  the 
borders  of  the  Chippeway  country.  There  had  recently 
been  a  fight  near  the  spot  where  they  were,  and  the  Dah 
cotahs  were  seeking  the  bodies  of  their  friends  who  had 
been  slain,  that  they  might  take  them  home  to  bury  them. 

They  moved  noiselessly  along,  for  their  enemies  were 
near.  Occasionally,  one  of  them  would  imitate  the  cry  of 
a  bird  or  of  some  animal,  so  that  if  the  attention  of  their 
enemies  should  be  drawn  to  the  spot,  the  slight  noise  they 
made  in  moving  might  be  attributed  to  any  but  the  right 
cause. 

They  had  almost  given  up  the  hope  of  finding  their 
friends,  and  this  was  the  close  of  their  last  day's  efforts  to 
that  intent.  In  the  morning  they  intended  to  return  to 
their  village. 

It  was  a  bright  clear  evening,  and  the  rays  of  the  setting 
sun  fell  upon  some  objects  further  on.  For  a  time  the 
Dahcotahs  gazed  in  silence ;  but  no  movement  gave  sign 
of  what  it  was  that  excited  their  curiosity.  All  at  once 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN  ;  THE   SPIES.  151 

there  was  a  fearful  foreboding ;  they  remembered  why  they 
were  there,  and  they  determined  to  venture  near  enough  to 
find  oat  what  was  the  nature  of  the  object  on  which  the 
rays  of  the  sun  seemed  to  rest  as  if  to  attract  their  notice. 

A  few  more  steps  and  they  were  relieved  from  their  ter 
rible  suspense,  but  their  worst  fears  were  realized. 

The  Dahcotahs  recently  killed  had  been  skinned  by  the 
Chippeways,  while  their  bodies  were  yet  warm  with  life, 
and  the  skins  were  stretched  upon  poles;  while  on  separate 
poles  the  hands  were  placed,  with  one  finger  of  each  hand 
pointing  to  the  Dahcotah  country.  The  savages  were  in  a 
fearful  rage.  They  had  to  endure  a  twofold  insult. 

There  were  the  bodies  of  their  friends,  treated  as  if  they 
were  but  beasts,  and  evidently  put  there  to  bo  seen  by  the 
Dahcotahs.  And  besides,  the  hands  pointing  to  the  coun 
try  of  the  Dahcotahs — did  it  not  plainly  say  to  the  spies, 
go  back  to  your  country  and  say  to  your  warriors,  that  the 
Chippeways  despise  them,  that  they  are  not  worthy  to  be 
treated  as  men  ? 

The  spies  returned  as  cautiously  as  they  had  ventured 
near  the  fatal  spot,  and  it  was  not  until  they  were  out  of 
reach  of  danger  from  their  foes,  that  they  gave  vent  to 
their  indignation.  Then  their  smothered  rage  burst  forth. 
They  hastened  to  return  and  tell  the  event  of  their  jour 
ney.  They  forgot  how  grieved  the  wives  and  sisters  of  the 
dead  would  be  at  being  deprived  of  the  solace  of  burying 
the  remains  of  their  friends — they  only  thought  of  revenge 
for  the  insult  they  had  received. 

When  they  arrived  at  their  village,  they  called  together 
their  chiefs  and  braves,  and  related  to  them  what  they  had 
seen.  A  council  of  war  was  held,  which  resulted  in  imme- 


152  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

diate  preparations  being  made  to  resent  the  indignity  of 
fered  to  their  friends,  and  the  insult  to  the  whole  tribe. 

The  war-dance  is  always  celebrated  before  a  war  party 
goes  out  to  find  an  enemy,  and  there  is  in  every  village  a 
war  chief,  who  conducts  the  party.  The  war  dance  is  per 
formed  inside  of  a  wigwam,  and  not  out  of  door,  as  is 
usually  represented. 

The  "  Owl"  relt  himself  qualified  in  every  respect  to  con 
duct  the  preseLt  party.  He  was  a  great  warrior,  and  a 
juggler  besides ;  and  he  had  a  reputation  acquired  from  an 
act  performed  when  he  was  a  ve-y  young  man,  which 
showed  as  much  cunning  as  brave  .y  ;  for  one  of  these  qual 
ities  is  as  necessary  to  a  Dahcotah  war  chief  as  the  other. 

He  was  one  of  a  party  of  Dahootahs  who  went  to  war 
against  the  Chippeways,  but  without  success.  On  their 
way  back  "  the  Owl"  got  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
party,  and  he  climbed  a  tree  to  see  if  he  could  discover  his 
comrades.  While  in  the  tree  a  war  party  of  the  Chip 
peways  came  in  sight  and  stopped  quite  near  the  tree  to 
make  their  camp. 

The  Owl  was  in  a  sad  predicament ;  he  knew  not  what 
to  do  to  effect  his  escape.  As  he  knew  he  had  not  the 
power  to  contend  with  his  enemies,  he  determined  to  have 
recourse  to  stratagem.  When  it  was  quite  dark  he  com 
menced  hooting  like  an  owl,  having  previously  transformed 
himself  into  one.  The  Chippeways  looked  up  towards  the 
tree  and  asked  the  owl  what  he  was  doing  there.  The  owl 
replied  that  he  had  come  to  see  a  large  war  party  of  Dah- 
cotahs  who  would  soon  pass  by.  The  Chippeways  took 
the  hint,  and  took  to  their  heels  too,  and  ran  home.  The 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN;    THE   SPIES.  153 

Owl  then  resumed  his  form,  got  down  from  the  tree  and 
returned  home. 

This  wonderful  incident,  which  he  related  of  himself,  gave 
him  a  great  reputation  and  a  name  besides  ;  for  until  now 
he  had  been  called  Chaske,  a  name  always  given  to  the 
oldest  son;  but  the  Indians  after  this  gave  him  the  name 
of  the  Owl. 

It  being  decided  that  the  war  party  should  leave  as  soon 
as  their  preparations  could  be  made,  the  war  chief  sent  for 
those  who  were  to  dance.  The  dance  was  performed  every 
third  or  fourth  night  until  the  party  left.  For  each  dance 
the  war  chief  had  a  new  set  of  performers ;  only  so  many 
were  asked  at  a  time  as  could  conveniently  dance  inside  the 
wigwam.  While  some  were  dancing,  others  were  pre 
paring  for  the  expedition,  getting  extra  mocassins  made, 
drying  meat,  or  parching  corn. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  party  set  out,  with  every  confi 
dence  in  their  war  chief.  He  was  to  direct  them  where  to 
find  the  enemy,  and  at  the  same  time  to  protect  them 
from  being  killed  themselves. 

For  a  few  days  they  hunted  as  they  went  along,  and 
they  would  build  large  fires  at  night,  and  tell  long  stories, 
to  make  the  time  pass  pleasantly. 

The  party  was  composed  of  about  twenty  warriors,  and 
they  all  obeyed  implicitly  the  orders  of  their  war  chief,  who 
appointed  some  warriors  to  see  that  his  directions  were 
carried  out  by  the  whole  party.  Wo  to  him  who  violates 
a  single  regulation !  his  gun  is  broken,  his  blanket  cut  to 
pieces,  and  he  is  told  to  return  home.  Such  was  the  fate 
of  Iron  Eyes,  who  wandered  from  the  party  to  shoot  a  bird 
on  the  wing,  contrary  to  the  orders  of  their  chief.  But 


154  LEGENDS   OP   THE    SIOUX. 


although  disgraced  and  forbidden  to  join  in  the  attempt  to 
punish  the  Chippeways  for  the  outrage  they  had  cornmited, 
he  did  not  return  to  his  village ;  he  followed  the  tracks  of 
the  war  party,  determining  to  see  the  fun  if  he  could  not 
partake  of  it. 

On  the  fourth  night  after  they  left  home,  the  warriors 
were  all  assembled  to  hear  the  war  song  of  their  chief. 
They  were  yet  in  their  own  country,  seated  on  the  edge  of 
a  prairie,  and  back  of  them  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  the  half  melted  snow  ;  no 
rocks,  no  trees,  relieved  the  sameness  of  the  view.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Mississippi,  high  bluffs,  with  their  worn 
sides  and  broken  rocks,  hung  over  the  river ;  and  in  the 
centre  of  its  waters  lay  the  sacred  isles,  whose  many  trees 
and  bushes  wanted  only  the  warm  breath  of  summer  to 
display  their  luxuriance.  The  war  chief  commenced.  He 
prophesied  that  they  would  see  deer  on  the  next  day,  but 
that  they  must  begin  to  be  careful,  for  they  would  then 
have  entered  their  enemies'  country.  He  told  them  how 
brave  they  were,  and  that  he  was  braver  still.  He  told  them 
the  Chippeways  were  worse  than  prairie  dogs.  To  all  of 
which  the  warriors  responded,  Ho ! 

When  they  found  themselves  near  their  enemies,  the 
chief  forbade  a  gun  being  fired  off;  no  straggling  was 
allowed ;  none  but  the  spies  were  to  go  beyond  a  certain 
distance  from  the  party. 

But  after  they  entered  the  Chippeway  country  the 
duties  of  the  war  chief  were  still  more  important.  He  had 
to  prophesy  where  the  enemy  was  to  be  found,  and  about 
their  number  ;  and  besides,  he  had  to  charm  the  spirits  of 
their  enemies,  that  they  might  be  unable  to  contend  with 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN ;    THE    SPIES.  155 


the  Dahcotahs.     The  spirits  on  this  occasion  took  the  form 
of  a  bear. 

About  nine  o'clock  at  night  this  ceremony  commences. 
The  warriors  all  lie  down  as  if  asleep,  when  the  war  chief 
signifies  the  approach  of  the  spirits  to  his  men,  by  the 
earnestness  of  his  exertions  in  singing. 

The  song  continues,  and  increases  in  energy  as  the  spirit 
gets  nearer  to  the  hole  in  the  ground,  which  the  chief  dug 
and  filled  with  water,  previous  to  commencing  his  song. 
Near  this  hole  he  placed  a  hoop,  against  which  are  laid  all  the 
war  implements  of  the  chief.  Before  the  song  commences 
the  warriors  sit  and  look  steadfastly  at  their  leader.  But 
when  the  spirit  approaches  this  hole,  the  warriors  hardly 
dare  breathe,  for  fear  of  frightening  it  away. 

At  last  the  spirit  gets  close  to  the  hole.  The  war  chief 
strikes  it  with  his  rattle  and  kills  it ;  this  ensures  to  the 
Dahcotahs  success  in  battle.  And  most  solemnly  did  the 
Owl  assert  to  his  soldiers,  the  fact  that  he  had  thus  dealt 
with  the  bear  spirit,  while  they  as  earnestly  believed  it. 

The  next  morning,  four  of  the  warriors  went  in  advance 
as  spies ;  one  of  them  carried  a  pipe,  presented  as  an  offer 
ing  to  deceive  the  spirits  of  their  enemies.  About  noon 
they  sat  down  to  rest,  and  waited  until  the  remainder  of 
the  party  came  up.  When  they  were  all  together  again, 
they  rested  and  smoked ;  and  other  spies  were  appointed, 
^vvho  took  the  pipe  and  went  forward  again. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they  perceived  signs 
of  their  enemies.  In  the  sand  near  the  borders  of  a  prairie 
were  the  footprints  of  Chippeways,  and  fresh  too.  They 
congratulated  each  other  by  looks,  too  cautious  even  to 
whisper.  In  a  few  moments  a  hundred  Chippeways  could 


156  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


be  called  up,  but  still  the  Dahcotahs  plunge  into  the 
thick  forest  that  skirts  the  edge  of  the  prairie,  in  order  to 
find  out  what  prospect  they  have  for  delighting  themselves 
with  the  long  wished  for  revenge. 

It  was  not  long  before  a  group  of  Chippeways  was  dis 
covered,  all  unapprehensive  of  evil.  At  their  camp  the 
Chippeways  had  made  pickets,  for  they  knew  they  might 
expect  retaliation  ;  but  those  who  fell  a  sacrifice  were  not 
expecting  their  foes. 

The  spies  were  not  far  ahead — they  returned  to  the  party, 
and  then  retraced  their  steps.  The  low  cries  of  animals 
were  imitated  to  prevent  any  alarm  being  given  by  the 
breaking  of  a  twig  or  the  rustling  of  the  leaves.  They 
were  very  near  the  Chippeways,  when  the  war  chief  gave 
the  signal  on  a  bone  whistle,  and  the  Dabcotahs  fired. 
Every  one  of  the  Chippeways  fell — two  men,  three  women, 
and  two  children. 

Then  came  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife — the 
former  to  finish  the  work  of  death,  the  latter  to  bear  a 
trophy  to  their  country,  to  say,  Our  comrades  are  avenged. 
Nor  was  that  all.  The  bodies  were  cut  to  pieces,  and  then 
the  warriors  commenced  their  homeward  journey. 

They  allowed  themselves  but  little  rest  until  they  were 
out  of  their  enemies'  country.  But  when  they  were  out  of 
the  reach  of  attack,  when  their  feet  trod  again  upon  Dah- 
cotah  soil,  then  they  stopped  to  stretch  each  scalp  on  a 
hoop,  which  was  attached  to  a  slender  pole.  This  is 
always  the  work  of  the  war  chief. 

They  look  eagerly  for  the  welcome  sight  of  home.  The 
cone-shaped  teepees  rise  before  their  view.  They  know 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN  ;   THE    SPIES.  157 


that  their  young  wives  will  rejoice  to  see  the  scalps,  as 
much  as  to  know  that  the  wanderers  have  returned. 

When  they  are  near  their  village  the  war  chief  raises 
the  song  of  victory  ;  the  other  warriors  join  their  voices  to 
his.  The  welcome  sound  rouses  the  inhabitants  of  the 
village  from  their  duties  or  amusements.  The  warriors 
enter  the  village  in  triumph,  one  by  one,  each  bearing  the 
scalp  he  took ;  and  the  stout  warrior,  the  aged  woman,  and 
the  feeble  child,  all  press  forward  to  feast  their  eyes  with 
the  sight  of  the  scalps. 

There  was  a  jubilee  in  the  village  for  weeks.  Day  and 
night  did  the  savages  dance  round  the  scalps.  But  how 
soon  may  their  rejoicings  be  lost  in  cries  of  terror  !  Even 
now  they  tremble  at  the  sound  of  their  own  voices  when 
evening  draws  near — for  it  is  their  turn  to  suffer.  They 
expect  their  foes,  but  they  do  not  dread  them  the  less. 


CHAPTER    II. 

MANY  of  the  customs  of  the  Dahcotahs  are  to  be  attrib 
uted  to  their  superstitions.  Their  teepees  are  always  made 
of  buffalo-skins  ;  nothing  would  induce  them  to  use  deer 
skin  for  that  purpose.  Many  years  ago  a  woman  made  a 
teepee  of  deer-skin,  and  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  died 
immediately  after.  Some  reason  must  be  found  for  the 
cause  of  her  death,  and  as  no  other  was  known,  the  Indians 
concluded  that  she  brought  her  death  upon  herself  by  using 


158  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

deer-skin  for  her  teepee.  They  have  always?  since,  used 
buffalo-skin  for  that  purpose. 

Nothing  would  induce  a  Dahcotah  woman  to  look  into  a 
looking-glass  ;  for  the  medicine  men  say  that  death  will  be 
the  consequence. 

But  there  is  no  superstition  which  influences  them  more 
than  their  belief  in  Haokah,  or  the  Giant.  They  say  this 
being  is  possessed  of  superhuman  powers :  indeed  he  is 
deemed  so  powerful,  as  to  be  able  to  take  the  thunder  in  his 
hand  and  cast  it  to  the  ground.  He  dresses  in  many  colors, 
and  wears  a  forked  hat.  One  side  of  his  face  is  red,  the 
other  blue,  his  eyes  are  also  of  different  colors.  He  always 
carries  a  bow  and  arrow  in  his  hand,  but  never  has  occasion 
to  use  it,  as  one  look  will  kill  the  animal  he  wants. 

They  sing  songs  to  this  giant,  and  once  in  a  long  time 
dance  in  honor  of  him ;  but  so  severe  is  the  latter  custom, 
that  it  is  rarely  performed.  The  following'  incident  will 
show  how  great  is  their  reverence  for  this  singular  being. 
An  Indian  made  a  vapor  bath,  and  placed  inside  of  it  a  rude 
image  of  the  giant,  made  of  birch  bark.  This  he  intended 
to  pray  to  while  bathing. 

After  the  hot  stone  was  placed  inside  of  the  wigwam, 
several  Indians  went  in  to  assist  in  giving  the  bath  to  their 
sick  friend.  One  of  them  commenced  pouring  the  water 
on  the  hot  stone,  and  the  water  flew  on  the  others,  and 
scalded  them  badly ;  the  image  of  the  giant  was  also  dis 
placed  ;  the  Indians  never  dreamed  of  attributing  their  burns 
to  the  natural  cause,  but  concluded  that  the  giant  was  dis 
pleased  at  their  placing  his  image  there,  and  they  consid 
ered  it  as  an  instance  of  his  mercy  that  they  were  not 
scalded  to  death. 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN  ;   THE   SPIES.  159 


However  defective  may  be  the  religion  of  the  Dahcotahs, 
they  are  faithful  in  acting  up  to  all  its  requirements.  Every 
feast  and  custom  among  them  is  celebrated  as  a  part  of 
their  religion. 

After  the  scalp-dance  had  been  performed  long  enough, 
the  Dahcotahs  of  the  villages  turned  their  attention  to 
making  sugar.  Many  groves  of  sugar  trees  were  in  sight 
of  their  village,  and  on  this  occasion  the  generous  sap  re 
warded  their  labors. 

Nor  were  they  ungrateful ;  for  when  the  medicine  men 
announced  that  they  must  keep  the  sugar-feast,  all  left 
their  occupation,  anxious  to  celebrate  it.  Neither  need  it 
be  concluded  that  this  occasioned  them  no  loss  of  time  ;  for 
they  were  all  occupied  with  the  construction  of  their  sum 
mer  wigwams,  which  are  made  of  the  bark  of  trees,  which 
must  be  peeled  off  in  the  spring. 

But  every  villager  assembled  to  keep  the  feast.  A  cer 
tain  quantity  of  sugar  was  dealt  out  to  each  individual, 
and  any  one  of  them  who  could  not  eat  all  that  was  given 
him  was  obliged  to  pay  leggins,  or  a  blanket,  or  something 
valuable,  to  the  medicine  man.  On  this  occasion,  indeed 
on  most  occasions,  the  Dahcotahs  have  no  difficulty  in  dis 
posing  of  any  quantity  of  food. 

When  the  feast  was  over,  however,  the  skill  of  their  doc 
tors  was  in  requisition  ;  for  almost  all  of  them  were  made 
quite  ill  by  excess,  and  were  seen  at  evening  lying  at  full 
length  on  the  ground,  groaning  and  writhing  with  pain. 


160  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  day  after  the  sugar  feast,  the  Owl  told  his  wife  to 
get  ready  her  canoe,  as  he  wanted  to  spear  some  fish.  She 
would  rather  have  staid  at  home,  as  she  was  not  fully  re 
covered  from  her  last  night's  indisposition.  But  there  was 
no  hesitating  when  the  war  chief  spoke ;  so  she  placed  her 
child  upon  her  back,  and  seated  herself  in  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  paddling  gently  along  the  shore  where  the  fish  usu 
ally  lie.  Her  husband  stood  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe  with 
a  spear  about  six  feet  in  length.  As  he  saw  the  fish  lying 
in  the  water,  he  threw  the  spear  into  them,  still  keeping 
hold  of  it. 

When  the  war  chief  was  tired,  his  wife  would  stop  pad 
dling,  and  nurse  her  child  while  he  smoked.  If  the  Owl 
were  loquaciously  inclined,  he  would  point  out  to  his  wife 
the  place  where  he  shot  a  deer,  or  where  he  killed  the  man 
who  had  threatened  his  life.  Indeed,  if  you  took  his  word 
for  it,  there  was  not  a  foot  of  ground  in  the  country  which 
had  not  been  a  scene  of  some  exploit. 

The  woman  believed  them  all ;  for,  like  a  good  wife,  she 
shone  by  the  reflected  light  of  her  husband's  fame. 

When  they  returned  home,  she  made  her  fire  and  put 
the  fish  to  cook,  and  towards  evening  many  of  the  Indians 
were  assembled  in  the  wigwam  of  the  war-chief,  and  par 
took  of  the  fish  he  had  caught  in  the  morning. 

"  Unk-ta-he,"*  said  one  of  the  oldest  men  in  the  tribe 
*  The  God  of  the  Waters. 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN ;    THE    SPIES.  161 

(and  reverenced  as  a  medicine  man  of  extraordinary  pow 
ers),  "  Unk-ta-he  is  as  powerful  as  the  thunder-bird.  Each 
wants  to  be  the  greatest  god  of  the  Dahcotahs,  and  they 
have  had  many  battles.  My  father  was  a  great  medicine 
man ;  he  was  killed  many  years  ago,  and  his  spirit  wan 
dered  about  the  earth.  The  Thunder-bird  wanted  him, 
and  Unk-ta-he  wanted  him,  for  they  said  he  would  make  a 
wonderful  medicine  man.  Some  of  the  sons  of  Unk-ta-he 
fought  against  the  sons  of  the  Thunder,  and  the  young 
thunder-birds  were  killed,  and  then  Unk-ta-he  took  the 
spirit  of  my  father,  to  teach  him  many  mysterious  things. 

"  When  my  father  had  lived  a  long  time  with  Unk-ta-he 
in  the  waters  under  the  earth,  he  took  the  form  of  a  Dahco- 
tah  again,  and  lived  in  this  village.  He  taught  me  all  that 
I  know,  and  when  I  go  to  the  land  of  spirits,  my  son  must 
dance  alone  all  night,  and  he  will  learn  from  me  the  secret 
of  the  medicine  of  our  clan." 

All  listened  attentively  to  the  old  man,  for  not  an  Indian 
there  but  believed  that  he  could  by  a  spell  cause  their  in 
stant  death  ;  and  many  wonderful  miracles  had  the  "  Elk" 
wrought  in  his  day. 

In  the  comer  of  the  wigwam  sat  the  Bound  Spirit,  whose 
vacant  look  told  the  sad  tale  of  her  want  of  reason.  Gen 
erally  she  sat  quiet,  but  if  the  cry  of  an  infant  fell  upon  her 
ear,  she  would  start,  and  her  shriek  could  be  heard  through 
out  the  village. 

The  Bound  Spirit  was  a  Sisseton.  In  the  depth  of  win 
ter,  she  had  left  her  village  to  seek  her  friends  in  some  of 
the  neighboring  bands.  She  was  a  widow,  and  there  was 
no  one  to  provide  her  food. 

Accompanied  by  several  other  Indians,  she  left  her  home, 


162  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

which  was  made  wretched  by  her  desolate  condition — that 
home  where  she  had  been  very  happy  while  her  husband 
lived.  It  had  since  been  the  scene  of  her  want  and  misery. 

The  small  portion  of  food  they  had  taken  for  their  jour 
ney  was  exhausted.  Rejoiced  would  they  have  been  to 
have  had  the  bark  of  trees  for  food ;  but  they  were  on  the 
open  prairie.  There  was  nothing  to  satisfy  the  wretched 
cravings  of  hunger,  and  her  child — the  very  child  that 
clung  to  her  bosom — was  killed  by  the  unhappy  mother, 
and  its  tender  limbs'supplied  to  her  the  means  of  life. 

She  reached  the  place  of  destination,  but  it  was  through 
instinct,  for  forgetting  and  forgotten  by  all  was  the  wretched 
maniac  who  entered  her  native  village. 

The  Indians  feared  her ;  they  longed  to  kill  her,  but  were 
afraid  to  do  so.  They  said  she  had  no  heart. 

Sometimes  she  would  go  in  the  morning  to  the  shore, 
and  there,  with  only  her  head  out  of  water,  would  she  lie 
all  day. 

Now,  she  has  been  weeping  over  the  infant  who  sleeps 
by  her.  She  is  perfectly  harmless,  and  the  wife  of  the 
war  chief  kindly  gives  her  food  and  shelter  whenever  she 
wishes  it. 

But  it  is  not  often  she  eats — only  when  desperate  from 
long  fasting — and  when  her  appetite  is  satisfied,  she  seerns 
to  live  over  the  scene,  the  memory  of  which  has  made  her 
what  she  is. 

After  all  but  she  had  eaten  of  the  fish,  the  Elk  related 
to  them  the  story  of  the  large  fish  that  obstructed  the  pas 
sage  of  the  St.  Croix  river.  The  scene  of  this  tradition  was 
far  from  them,  but  the  Dahcotahs  tell  each  other  over  and 
over  again  the  stories  which  have  been  handed  down  from 


TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN ;    THE    SPIES.  163 

their  fathers,  and  these  incidents  are  known  throughout  the 
tribe.  "Two  Dahcotahs  went  to  war  against  their  ene 
mies.  On  returning  home,  they  stopped  at  the  Lake  St. 
Croix,  hungry  and  much  fatigued. 

"  One  of  them  caught  a  fish,  cooked  it,  and  asked  his 
comrade  to  eat,  but  he  refused.  The  other  argued  with 
him,  and  begged  of  him  to  eat,  but  still  he  declined. 

"  The  owner  of  the  fish  continued  to  invite  his  friend  to 
partake  of  it,  until  he,  wearied  by  his  importunities,  con 
sented  to  eat,  but  added  with  a  mysterious  look,  « My 
friend,  I  hope  you  will  not  get  out  of  patience  with  me.' 
After  saying  this,  he  ate  heartily  of  the  fish. 

"He  then  seemed  to  be  very  thirsty,  and  asked  his  com 
panion  to  bring  him  some  water  out  of  the  lake  ;  he  did  so, 
but  very  soon  the  thirst,  which  was  quenched  for  a  time 
onlyr  returned  ;  more  was  given  him,  but  the  terrible  thirst 
continued,  and  at  last  the  Indian,  who  had  begged  his  com 
panion  to  eat,  began  to  be  tired  of  bringing  him  water  to 
drink.  He  therefore  told  him  he  would  bring  him  no  more, 
and  requested  him  to  go  down  to  the  water  and  drink.  He 
did  so,  and  after  drinking  a  great  quantity,  while  his  friend 
was  asleep,  he  turned  himself  into  a  large  fish  and  stretched 
himself  full  length  across  the  St.  Croix. 

"  This  fish  for  a  long  time  obstructed  the  passage  of  the 
St.  Croix ;  so  much  so  that  the  Indians  were  obliged  to  go 
round  it  by  land. 

"  Some  time  ago  the  Indians  were  on  a  hunting  excur 
sion  up  the  river,  and  when  they  got  near  the  fish  a  woman 
of  the  party  darted  ahead  in  her  canoe. 

"  She  made  a  dish  of  bark,  worked  the  edges  of  it  very 
handsomely,  filled  it  with  water,  and  placed  some  red  down 


164  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

in  it.  She  then  placed  the  dish  near  the  fish  in  the  river, 
and  entreated  the  fish  to  go  to  its  own  elements,  and  not  to 
obstruct  the  passage  of  the  river  and  give  them  so  much 
trouble. 

"  The  fish  obeyed,  and  settled  down  in  the  water,  and 
has  never  since  been  seen. 

"  The  woman  who  made  this  request  of  the  fish,  was 
loved  by  him  when  he  was  a  Dahcotah,  and  for  that  reason 
he  obeyed  her  wishes." 

Nor  was  this  the  only  legend  with  which  he  amused  his 
listeners.  The  night  was  half  spent  when  they  separated 
to  rest,  with  as  firm  a  faith  in  the  stories  of  the  old  med 
icine  man,  as  we  have  in  the  annals  of  the  Revolution. 


THE  MAIDEN'S  ROCK; 


WENONA'S    LEAP. 


LAKE  PEPIN  is  a  widening  of  the  Mississippi  river.  It  is 
about  twenty  miles  in  length,  and  from  one  to  two  miles 
wide. 

The  country  along  its  banks  is  barren.  The  lake  has 
little  current,  but  is  dangerous  for  steamboats  in  a  high 
wind.  It  is  not  deep,  and  abounds  in  fish,  particularly  the 
sturgeon.  On  its  shores  the  traveller  gathers  white  and 
red  agates,  and  sometimes  specimens  streaked  with  veins  of 
gold  color.  The  lover  reads  the  motto  from  his  mistress' 
seal,  not  thinking  that  the  beautiful  stone  which  made  the 
impression,  was  found  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Pepin. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  lake,  the  Chippeway  river  emp 
ties  into  the  Mississippi. 

The  Maiden's  rock  is  a  high  bluff,  whose  top  seems  to 
lean  over  towards  the  water.  With  this  rock  is  associated 
one  of  the  most  interesting  traditions  of  the  Sioux. 

But  the  incident  is  well-known.  Almost  every  one  has 
read  it  a  dozen  times,  and  always  differently  told.  Some 
represent  the  maiden  as  delivering  an  oration  from  the  top 
of  the  rock,  long  enough  for  an  address  at  a  college  celebra 
tion.  It  has  been  stated  that  she  fell  into  the  water,  a  cir- 


166  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

cumstance  which  the  relative  situation  of  the  rock  and 
river  would  render  impossible. 

Writers  have  pretended,  too,  that  the  heroine  of  the  rock 
was  a  Winnebago.  It  is  a  mistake,  the  maiden  was  a 
Dahcotah. 

It  was  from  the  Dahcotahs  that  I  obtained  the  incident, 
and  they  believe  that  it  really  occurred.  They  are 
offended  if  you  suggest  the  possibility  of  its  being  a  fiction. 
Indeed  they  fix  a  date  to  it,  reckoning  by  the  occurrences 
of  great  battles,  or  other  events  worthy  of  notice. 

But  to  the  story — and  I  wish  I  could  throw  into  it  the 
feeling  and  energy  of  the  old  medicine  woman  who  re 
lated  it. 

About  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  the  band  of  Dah 
cotahs  to  which  Wenona  belonged,  lived  near  Fort  Snel- 
ling.  Their  village  was  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  Good 
Road's  band. 

The  whole  band  made  preparations  to  go  below  Lake 
Pepin,  after  porcupines.  These  animals  are  of  great  value 
among  the  Dahcotahs ;  their  flesh  is  considered  excellent 
as  an  article  of  food,  and  the  women  stain  their  quills  to 
ornament  the  dresses  of  the  men,  theij  mocassins,  and 
many  other  articles  in  use  among  them.  A  young  girl  of 
this  band  had  received  repeated  offers  of  marriage  from  a 
Dahcotah,  whom  she  hated  with  the  same  degree  of  inten 
sity  that  she  loved  his  rival. 

She  dared  not  marry  the  object  of  her  choice,  for  she 
knew  it  would  subject  herself  and  him  to  the  persecutions 
of  her  family.  She  declared  she  never  would  consent  to 
be  the  wife  of  the  man  whom  her  parents  had  chosen  for 
her,  though  he  was  young  and  brave,  and,  what  is  most 


THE    MAIDEN'S  ROCK;    OR,   WENONA'S    LEAP.  167 


valued  by  the  friends  of  an  Indian  girl,  he  was  said  to  be 
the  best  hunter  of  the  tribe. 

"Marry  him,  my  daughter,"  said  the  mother,  "your 
father  is  old ;  he  cannot  now  hunt  deer  for  you  and  me,  and 
what  shall  we  do  for  food  ?  Chaske  will  hunt  the  deer  and 
buffalo,  and  we  shall  be  comfortable  and  happy." 

"Yes,"  said  her  father,  "your  mother  speaks  well. 
Chaske  is  a  great  warrior  too.  When  your  brother  died,  did 
he  not  kill  his  worst  enemy  and  hang  up  his  scalp  at  his 
grave  ?" 

But  Wenona  persevered  in  her  refusal.  "  I  do  not  love 
him,  I  will  not  marry  him,"  was  her  constant  reply. 

But  Chaske,  trusting  to  time  and  her  parent's  influence, 
was  not  discourage^.  He  killed  game  and  supplied  the 
wants  of  the  family.  Besides,  he  had  twiceboj^lrt^Jie^r^ 
according  to  Indian  custom. 

Tfe~fTal!"' 'gTverTher  parents  cloth  and  blankets,  calico  and 
guns.  The  girl  entreated  them  not  to  receive  them,  but 
the  lover  refused  to  take  them  back,  and,  finally,  they  were 
taken  into  the  wigwam. 

Just  as  the  band  was  about  leaving  the  village  for  the 
hunt,  he  came  again  with  many  presents ;  whatever  would 
make  the  family  comfortable  on  their  journey,  and  a  de 
cided  promise  was  then  given  that  the  maiden  should  be 
come  his  wife. 

She  knew  it  would  be  useless  to  contend,  so  she  seemed 
to  be  willing  to  submit  to  her  fate.  After  encamping  for 
a  time  opposite  the  Maiden's  Rock  to  rest  from  their 
journey,  the  hunters  determined  to  go  further  down  the 
river.  They  had  crossed  over  to  the  other  side,  and  were 
seated  nearly  under  the  rock. 


168  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

Their  women  were  in  their  canoes  coming  over,  when 
suddenly  a  loud  cry  was  heard  from  an  old  woman,  the 
mother  of  Wenona. 

The  canoe  had  nearly  reached  the  shore,  and  the  mother 
continued  to  shriek,  gazing  at  the  projecting  rock. 

The  Indians  eagerly  inquired  of  her  what  was  the 
matter?  "  Do  you  not  see  my  daughter?"  she  said;  "she 
is  standing  close  to  the  edge  of  the  rock  !" 

She  was  there  indeed,  loudly  and  wildly  singing  her 
dirge,  an  invocation  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Rock,  calm  and 
unconcerned  in  her  dangerous  position,  while  all  was  terror 
and  excitement  among  her  friends  below  her. 

The  hunters,  so  soon  as  they  perceived  her,  hastily 
ascended  the  bluff,  while  her  parents  called  to  her  and 
entreated  her  to  go  back  from  the  edge  of  the  rock. 
"Come  down  to  us,  my  child,"  they  cried ;  "do  not  de 
stroy  your  life;  you  will  kill  us,  we  have  no  child  but 
you." 

Having  finished  her  song,  the  maiden  answered  her 
parents.  "  You  have  forced  me  to  leave  you.  I  was 
always  a  good  daughter,  and  never  disobeyed  you ;  and 
could  I  have  married  the  man  I  love,  I  should  have  been 
happy,  and  would  never  have  left  you.  But  you  have  been 
cruel  to  me ;  you  have  turned  my  beloved  from  the  wig 
wam  ;  you  would  have  forced  me  to  marry  a  man  I  hated ; 
I  go  to  the  house  of  spirits." 

By  this  time  the  hunters  had  nearly  reached  her.  She 
turned  towards  them  for  a  moment  with  a  smile  of  scorn, 
as  if  to  intimate  to  them  that  their  efforts  were  in  vain. 
But  when  they  were  quite  near,  so  that  they  held  out  their 


THE  MAIDEN'S   ROCK;   OR,   WENONA'S   LEAP.  169 

arms  towards  her  in  their  eagerness  to  draw  her  from  her 
dangerous  station,  she  threw  herself  from  the  rock. 

The  first  blow  she  received  from  the  side  of  the  rock 
must  have  killed  her,  for  she  fell  like  a  dead  bird,  amidst 
the  shouts  of  the  hunters  above,  and  the  shrieks  of  the 
women  below. 

Her  body  was  arrayed  in  her  handsomest  clothing, 
placed  upon  a  scaffold,  and  afterwards  buried. 

But  the  Dahcotahs  say  that  her  spirit  does  not  watch 
over  her  earthly  remains ;  for  her  spirit  was  offended  when 
she  brought  trouble  upon  her  aged  mother  and  father. 

Such  is  the  story  told  by  the  Dahcotahs ;  and  why  not 
apply  to  them  for  their  own  traditions  ? 

Neither  is  there  any  reason  to  doubt  the  actual  occur 
rence  of  the  incident. 

Not  a  season  passes  away  but  we  hear  of  some  Dah- 
cotah  girl  who  puts  an  end  to  her  life  in  consequence  of 
jealousy,  or  from  the  fear  of  being  forced  to  marry  some 
one  she  dislikes.  A  short  time  ago  a  very  young  girl  hung 
herself,  rather  than  become  the  wife  of  a  man  who  was 
already  the  Husband  of  one  of  her  sisters. 

The  parents  told  her  they  had  promised  her,  and  insisted 
upon  her  fulfilling  the  engagement.  Even  her  sister  did 
not  object,  nay,  rather  seemed  anxious  to  forward  the 
scheme,  which  would  give  her  a  rival  from  among  her 
nearest  relations. 

The  young  girl  finally  ran  away,  and  the  lover,  leaving 
his  wife,  pursued  the  fugitive,  and  soon  overtook  her.  He 
renewed  his  entreaties,  and  finding  her  still  obstinate,  he 
told  her  that  she  should  become  his  wife,  and  that  he  would 
kill  her  if  she  made  any  more  trouble. 


170  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

This  last  argument  seemed  to  have  the  desired  effect, 
for  the  girl  expressed  her  willingness  to  return  home. 

After  they  arrived,  the  man  went  to  his  wigwam  to  tell 
his  wife  of  the  return  of  her  sister,  and  that  everything 
was  now  in  readiness  for  their  marriage. 

But  one  hour  after,  the  girl  was  missing ;  and  when 
found,  was  hanging  to  a  tree,  forever  free  from  the  power 
of  her  tormentors.  Her  friends  celebrated  the  ceremonies 
of  death  instead  of  marriage. 

It  must  be  conceded  that  an  Indian  girl,  when  desperate 
with  her  love  affairs,  chooses  a  most  unromantic  way  of 
ending  her  troubles.  She  almost  invariably  hangs  herself ; 
when  there  are  so  many  beautiful  lakes  near  her  where 
she  could  die  an  easier  death,  and  at  the  same  time  one 
that  would  tell  better,  than  where  she  fastens  an  old 
leather  strap  about  her  neck,  and  dies  literally  by  choking. 
But  there  is  this  to  be  taken  into  consideration.  When 
she  hangs  herself  near  the  village,  she  can  manage  affairs 
so  that  she  can  be  cut  down  if  she  concludes  to  live  a  little 
longer;  for  this  frequently  occurs,  and  the  suicide  lives 
forty  and  sometimes  sixty  years  after.  But  when  Wenona 
took  the  resolution  of  ending  her  earthly  sorrows,  no  doubt 
there  were  other  passions  beside  love  influencing  her 
mind. 

Love  was  the  most  powerful.  With  him  she  loved,  life 
would  have  been  all  happiness — without  him,  all  misery. 
Such  was  the  reasoning  of  her  young  heart. 

But  she  resented  the  importunity  of  the  hunter  whose 
pretensions  her  parents  favored,  How  often  she  had  told 
him  she  would  die  before  she  would  become  his  wife  ;  and 
he  would  smile,  as  if  he  had  but  little  faith  in  the  words  of 


THE  MAIDEN'S   ROCK;   OR,   WENONA'S   LEAP.  171 


a  woman.  Now  he  should  see  that  her  hatred  to  him  was 
not  assumed ;  and  she  would  die  such  a  death  that  he  might 
know  that  she  feared  neither  him  nor  a  death  of  agony. 

And  while  her  parents  mourned  their  unkindness,  her 
lover  would  admire  that  firmness  which  made  death  more 
welcome  than  the  triumph  of  his  rival. 

And  sacred  is  the  spot  where  the  devoted  girl  closed  her 
earthly  sorrows.  Spirits  are  ever  hovering  near  the  scene. 
The  laugh  of  the  Dahcotah  is  checked  when  his  canoe  glides 
near  the  spot.  He  points  to  the  bluff,  and  as  the  shades  of 
evening  are  throwing  dimness  and  a  mystery  around  the 
beauty  of  the  lake,  and  of  the  mountains,  he  fancies  he  can 
see  the  arms  of  the  girl  as  she  tosses  them  wildly  in  the  air. 
Some  have  averred  they  heard  her  voice  as  she  called  to  the 
spirits  of  the  rock,  and  ever  will  the  traveller,  as  he  passes 
the  bluff,  admire  the  wondrous  beauty  of  the  picture,  and 
remember  the  story  of  the  lover's  leap. 

There  is  a  tradition  among  the  Dahcotahs  which  fixes  a 
date  to  the  incident,  as  well  as  to  the  death  of  the  rival 
lovers  of  Wenona. 

Tt^py  say  that  it  occurred  about  the  time  stated,  and 
that  the  band  of  Indians  went  and  obtained  the  porcupines, 
and  then  they  returned  and  settled  on  the  St.  Croix  river. 

Shortly  after  the  tragical  death  of  Wenona,  the  band 
went  again  down  the  Mississippi,  and  they  camped  at  what 
they  call  the  medicine  wood.  Here  a  child  died,  and  the 
body  was  laid  on  a  scaffold.  The  father  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  went  out  to  mourn  for  his  child.  While  he  leant 
against  the  scaffold  weeping,  he  saw  a  man  watching  him. 
The  stranger  did  not  appear  to  be  a  Dahcotah,  and  the 
mourner  was  alarmed,  and  returned  to  the  camp.  In  the- 


172  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

morning  he  told  the  Indians  of  the  circumstance,  and  they 
raised  the  camp  and  went  into  the  pine  country. 

The  body  of  the  child  was  carried  along,  and  in  the  night 
the  father  went  out  again  to  lament  its  death.  The  same 
figure  appeared  to  him,  and  again  he  returned,  alarmed  at 
the  circumstance. 

In  the  morning  the  Indians  moved  their  camp  again,  and 
at  night  the  same  occurrence  took  place. 

The  Dahcotahs  are  slaves  to  superstition,  and  they  now 
dreaded  a  serious  evil.  Their  fears  were  not  confirmed  in 
the  way  they  anticipated,  for  their  foes  came  bodily,  and 
when  daylight  appeared,  one  thousand  Chippeway  warriors 
appeared  before  them,  and  the  shrill  whistle  and  terrible 
whoop  of  war  was  heard  in  earnest. 

Dreadful  were  the  shouts  of  the  Chippeways,  for  the 
Dahcotahs  were  totally  unprepared  for  them,  and  many 
were  laid  low  at  the  first  discharge  of  the  rifles. 

The  merciless  Chippeways  continued  the  work  of  death. 
The  women  and  children  fled  to  their  canoes,  but  the  Chip 
peways  were  too  quick  for  them ;  and  they  only  entered 
their  canoes  to  meet  as  certain  a  fate  as  those  wjio  re 
mained. 

The  women  had  not  their  paddles  with  them,  and  there 
was  an  eddy  in  the  current;  as  soon  as  the  canoe  was 
pushed  from  the  shore,  it  would  whirl  round,  and  the  de 
lighted  Chippeways  caught  the  canoes,  and  pulled  them 
ashore  again,  while  others  let  fall  upon  their  victims  the 
uplifted  tomahawk. 

When  the  Chippeways  had  killed  until  they  were  tired, 
they  took  what  they  wanted  from  the  Sioux  camp,  and 
started  for  home,  taking  one  Dahcotah  boy  prisoner.  The 


THE   MAIDEN'S   ROCK;   OR,   WENONA'S   LEAP.  173 


party  had  not  travelled  far,  when  a  number  of  Dahcotahs 
attacked  the  Chippeways,  but  the  latter  succeeded  in  kill 
ing  many  of  the  Dahcotahs.  One  of  the  latter  fled,  and 
was  in  his  canoe  on  the  lake  St.  Croix,  when  the  Chippe 
ways  suddenly  came  upon  him. 

The  little  Dahcotah  saw  his  only  chance  for  liberty — he 
plunged  in  the  water  and  made  for  the  canoe  of  the  Dah 
cotah.  In  a  moment  he  had  reached  and  entered  it,  and 
the  two  -Dahcotahs  were  out  of  sight  before  the  arrows  of 
their  enemies  could  reach  them. 

A  very  few  of  that  band  escaped  ;  one  of  them  says  that 
when  they  were  first  attacked  by  the  Chippeways,  he  saw 
he  had  but  one  chance,  so  he  dived  down  to  the  bottom  of 
the  river,  and  the  Chippeways  could  not  see  him. 

He  found  the  water  at  the  bottom  of  the  river  very  cold, 
and  when  he  had  gone  some  distance,  he  ventured  where 
the  water  was  warmer,  which  he  knew  was  near  the  shore. 
He  then  came  out  of  the  water  and  made  his  escape. 

Even  this  latter  trifling  incident  has  been  handed  down 
from  father  to  son,  and  is  believed  universally  by  the  Dah 
cotahs.  And  according  to  their  tradition,  the  lovers  and 
family  of  Wenona  perished  in  this  battle.  At  all  events, 
there  is  no  one  who  can  prove  that  their  tradition  or  my 
translation  may  not  be  true. 


THE  INDIAN  IN  A  TRANCE. 


ABOUT  forty  years  ago,  Ahak-tah,  "  The  Male  Elk,"  was 
taken  sick  with  a  sore  throat.  It  was  in  the  winter  too, 
and  sickness  and  cold  together  are  hard  to  bear.  Want 
was  an  evil  from  which  they  were  suffering ;  though  the 
Dahcotahs  were  not  so  poor  then  as  they  are  now.  They 
had  not  given  so  much  of  their  lands  to  the  white  people ; 
and  they  depended  more  upon  their  own  exertions  for  sup 
port  than  they  do  at  present. 

The  medicine  men  did  all  they  could  to  cure  Ahaktah ; 
they  tried  to  charm  away  the  animal  that  had  entered  into 
his  body;  they  used  the  sacred  rattle.  But  Ahaktah's 
throat  got  worse ;  he  died,  and  while  his  wives  and  chil 
dren  wept  for  him,  he  had  started  on  his  long  journey  to 
the  land  of  spirits. 

He  was  wrapped  in  scarlet  cloth,  and  laid  upon  a  scaffold. 
His  wives  sat  weeping  in  their  teepee,  when  a  cry  from 
their  young  children  drew  their  attention  to  the  door. 
There  stood  he  for  whoin  they  mourned.  The  dead  man 
again  took  his  place  among  those  who  sat  beside  the  house 
hold  fire.  Tears  of  grief  were  shed  no  more — food  was 
given  to  Ahaktah,  and  when  he  was  refreshed  he  thus  ad 
dressed  his  wondering  family  : — 


THE    INDIAN    IN   A  TRANCE.  175 

"  While  you  were  weeping  for  me,  my  spirit  was  on  its 
way  to  the  great  city  where  our  fathers,  who  have  taught 
us  all  the  wonders  of  our  sacred  medicine,  of  Haokah  the 
giant,  and  of  the  Thunder  bird,  are  now  living.  Twice  has 
the  sun  ceased  to  shine  since  I  left  you,  and  in  that  short 
time  I  have  seen  many  strange  things.  First,  I  passed 
through  a  beautiful  country ;  the  forest-trees  were  larger 
than  any  you  have  ever  seen.  Birds  of  all  colors  filled 
them,  and  their  music  was  as  loud  as  when  our  medicine 
men  play  for  us  to  celebrate  the  scalp  dance.  The  broad 
river  was  full  of  fish,  and  the  loon  screamed  as  she  swam 
across  the  lakes.  I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  my  way, 
for  there  was  a  road  through  this  country.  It  seemed  as 
if  there  must  have  been  many  travellers  there,  though  I 
saw  no  one. 

"  This  great  road  was  made  by  the  spirits  of  those  who 
were  killed  in  battle.  No  warrior,  however  brave  he  may 
have  been,  has  ever  assisted  in  making  this  road,  except 
those  who  sang  their  death  songs  under  the  tomahawk  of 
their  enemies.  Neither  did  any  woman  ever  assist.  She 
is  not  considered  worthy  to  touch  the  war  implements  of  a 
Dahcotah  warrior,  and  she  was  not  permitted  to  do  any 
thing  towards  completing  the  path  in  which  the  braves  of 
the  Dahcotahs  would  walk,  when  they  joined  their  fore 
fathers  in  the  land  of  spirits. 

"  As  I  pursued  my  journey,  I  saw  near  the  banks  of  the 
river  a  teepee ;  I  entered  it,  and  saw  paint  and  all  that  a 
warrior  needed  to  dress  himself  in  order  to  be  fit  to  enter 
the  city  of  spirits.  I  sat  down  and  plaited  my  hair,  I  put 
vermilion  on  my  cheeks,  and  arranged  the  war-eagle  feath 
ers  in  my  head.  Here,  I  said  to  myself,  did  my  father  rest 


176  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

when  he  was  on  the  same  journey.  I  was  tired,  but  I  could 
not  wait — I  longed  to  see  my  friends  who  had  travelled  this 
path  before  me — I  longed  to  tell  them  that  the  Dahcotahs 
were  true  to  the  customs  of  their  forefathers — I  longed  to 
tell  them  that  we  had  drunk  deep  of  the  blood  of  the  Chip- 
peways,  that  we  had  eaten  the  hearts  of  our  enemies,  that 
we  had  torn  their  infants  from  their  mothers'  breasts,  and 
dashed  them  to  the  earth. 

"  I  continued  my  journey,  looking  eagerly  around  me  to 
see  some  one,  but  all  was  desolate  ;  and  beautiful  as  every 
thing  was,  I  would  have  been  glad  to  have  seen  the  face 
of  a  friend. 

"It  was  evening  when  a  large  city  burst  upon  my  sight. 
The  houses  were  built  regularly  on  the  shores  of  the  river. 
As  far  as  I  could  see,  the  homes  of  the  spirits  of  my  fore 
fathers  were  in  view. 

"  But  still  I  saw  no  one.  I  descended  the  hill  towards 
the  river,  which  I  must  cross  to  reach  the  city  of  spirits.  I 
saw  no  canoe,  but  I  feared  nothing,  I  was  so  near  my  jour 
ney's  end.  The  river  was  wide  and  deep,  and  the  waves 
were  swiftly  following  one  another,  when  I  plunged  among 
them;  soon  I  reached  the  opposite  shore,  and  as  I  again 
stood  on  the  land,  I  heard  some  one  cry,  *  Here  he  comes ! 
here  he  comes !'  I  approached  the  nearest  house  and  en 
tered  ;  everything  looked  awful  and  mysterious. 

"  In  the  corner  of  the  room  sat  a  figure  whom  I  recog 
nized.  It  was  my  mother's  brother,  Flying  Wind,  the  med 
icine  man.  I  remembered  him,  for  it  was  he  who  taught 
me  to  use  my  bow  and  arrow. 

"In  a  bark  dish,  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  was  some 
wild  rice.  I  was  very  hungry,  for  I  had  not  eaten  since  I 


THE   INDIAN   IN  A  TRANCE.  177 

left  the  earth.  I  asked  my  uncle  for  some  rice  to  eat,  but 
he  did  not  give  it  to  me.  Had  I  eaten  of  the  food  for 
spirits,  I  never  should  have  returned  to  earth. 

"  At  last  my  uncle  spoke  to  me.     '  My  nephew,'  said  he, 

*  why  are  you  travelling  without  a  bow  and  arrow  ?  how 
can  you  provide  yourself  with  food  when   you   have   no 
means  of  killing  game  ?     When  my  home  was  on  the  Mis 
sissippi,  the  warriors  of  the  Dahcotahs  were  never  without 
their  bows  and  arrows — either  to  secure  their  food  or  to 
strike  to  the  hearts  of  their  enemies.' 

"  I  then  remembered  that  I  had  been  travelling  without 
my  bow  and  arrows.  '  But  where,'  said  I  to  my  uncle, 

*  where  are  the  spirits  of  my   forefathers?    where  is  my 
brother  who  fell  under  the  tomahawk  of  his  enemy  ?  where 
is  my  sister  who  threw  herself  into  the  power  of  Unkt-ahe, 
rather  than  to  live  and  see  her  rival  the  wife  of  the  Sun  ? 
where  are  the  spirits  of  the  Dahcotah  braves  whose  deeds 
are  still  told  from  father  to  son  among  us  ?' 

"  l  The  Dahcotah  braves  are  still  watching  for  their  ene 
mies — the  hunters  are  bringing  in  the  deer  and  the  buffalo 
— our  women  are  planting  corn  and  tanning  deer-skin. 
But  you  will  not  now  see  them ;  your  step  is  firm  and 
your  eye  is  bright ;  you  must  return  to  earth,  and  when 
your  limbs  are  feeble,  when  your  eye  is  dim,  then  will  you 
return  and  find  your  home  in  the  city  of  spirits.' 

"  So  saying,  he  arose  and  gave  me  a  bow  and  arrow.  I 
took  it,  and  while  trying  it  I  left  the  house ;  but  how  1  do 
not  know. 

"The  next  thing  that  I  remember  was  being  seated 
on  the  top  of  the  cliffs  of  Eagle's  Nest,  below  Lake  Pepin. 
I  heard  a  sound,  and  soon  distinguished  my  mother's  voice ; 

8* 


178  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

she  was  weeping.  I  knew  that  she  was  bending  over  my 
body.  I  could  see  her  as  she  cut  off  her  hair,  and  I  felt  sad 
when  I  heard  her  cry,  '  My  son !  my  son !'  Then  I  recol 
lect  being  on  the  top  of  the  half-side  mountain  on  Lake 
Pepin.  Afterwards  I  was  on  the  mountain  near  Red 
Wing's  village,  and  again  I  stood  on  a  rock,  on  a  point  of 
land  near  where  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and  St. 
Peter's  meet,  on  the  *  Maiden's  Jumping  Rock  ;'*  here  I 
recovered  my  right  mind." 

The  daughter  of  Ahaktah  says  that  her  father  retained 
the  "  wahkun"  bow  and  arrow  that  was  given  him  by  his 
uncle,  and  that  he  was  always  successful  in  hunting  or  in 
war ;  that  he  enjoyed  fine  health,  and  lived  to  be  a  very  old 
man ;  and  she  is  living  now  to  tell  the  story. 

*  Near  Fort  Snelling  is  a  high  rock  called  the  Maiden's  Jumping  Rock ; 
where  formerly  the  Dahcotah  girls  used  to  jump  for  amusement,  a  distance  of 
many  feet  from  the  top  to  the  ground. 


OECHE-MONESAH; 

THE    WANDERER. 


CHASKE  was  tired  of  living  in  the  village,  where  the 
young  men,  finding  plenty  of  small  game  to  support  life, 
and  yielding  to  the  languor  and  indolence  produced  by  a 
summer's  sun,  played  at  checkers,  or  drank,  or  slept,  from 
morn  till  night,  and  seemed  to  forget  that  they  were  the 
greatest  warriors  and  hunters  in  the  world.  This  did  very 
well  for  a  time;  but,  as  I  said,  Chaske  got  tired  of  it.  So 
he  determined  to  go  on  a  long  journey,  where  he  might 
meet  with  some  adventures. 

Early  one  morning  he  shouldered  his  quiver  of  arrows, 
and  drawing  ont  one  arrow  from  the  quiver,  he  shot  it  in 
the  direction  he  intended  to  go. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "I  will  follow  my  arrow."  But  it 
seemed  as  if  he  were  destined  never  to  find  it,  for  morning 
and  noon  had  passed  away,  and  the  setting  sun  warned 
him,  not  only  of  the  approach  of  night,  but  of  musquitoes 
too.  He  thought  he  would  build  a  fire  to  drive  the 
musquitoes  away ;  besides,  he  was  both  hungry  and  tired, 
though  he  had  not  yet  found  his  arrow,  and  had  nothing 
to  eat. 

When  he  was  hesitating  as  to  what  he  should  do,  he 


180  LEGENDS    OF   THE   SIOUX. 

saw  in  the  bushes  a  dead  elk,  and  behold !  his  arrow  was 
sticking  in  its  side.  He  drew  the  arrow  out,  then  cut  out 
the  tongue,  and  after  making  a  fire,  he  put  the  tongue 
upon  a  stick  to  roast.  But  while  the  tongue  was  roasting, 
Chaske  fell  asleep  and  slept  many  hours. 

At  day-break  a  woman  came  up  to  him  and  shook  him, 
as  if  to  awake  him.  Chaske  started  and  rubbed  his  eyes, 
and  the  woman  pointed  to  the  path  which  led  across  the 
prairies.  Was  he  dreaming?  No,  he  felt  sure  he  was 
awake.  So  he  got  up  and  followed  the  woman. 

He  thought  it  very  strange  that  the  woman  did  not 
speak  to  him.  "I  will  ask  her  who  she  is,"  said  he;  but 
as  he  turned  to  address  her  she  raised  her  arms  in  the  air, 
and  changing  her  form  to  .that  of  a  beautiful  bird,  blue  as 
the  sky  that  hangs  over  the  morning's  mist,  she  flew  away. 
Chaske  was  surprised  and  delighted  too.  He  loved  adven 
tures  ;  had  he  not  left  home  to  seek  them  ?  so  he  pursued 
his  journey,  quite  forgetting  his  supper,  which  was  cooking 
when  he  fell  asleep. 

He  shot  his  arrow  off  again  and  followed  it.  It  was  late 
in  the  evening  when  he  found  it,  and  then  it  was  in  the 
heart  of  a  moose.  "  I  will  not  be  cheated  out  of  my 
supper  to-night,"  said  he ;  so  he  cut  the  tongue  out  of  the 
moose  and  placed  it  before  the  fire  to  roast.  Hardly  had 
he  seated  himself  to  smoke,  when  sleep  overcame  him,  and 
he  knew  nothing  until  morning,  when  a  woman  approached 
and  shook  him  as  before,  pointing  to  the  path. 

He  arose  quickly  and  followed  her ;  and  as  he  touched 
her  arm,  determined  to  find  out  who  she  was,  she,  turning 
upon  him  a  brow  black  as  night,  was  suddenly  changed 
into  a  crow. 


OECHE-MONESAH;   THE  WANDERER.  181 

The  Dahcotah  was  completely  puzzled.  He  had  never 
cared  for  women ;  on  the  contrary,  had  avoided  them.  He 
never  wasted  his  time  telling  them  they  were  beautiful,  or 
playing  on  the  flute  to  charm  their  senses.  He  thought 
he  had  left  all  such  things  behind  him,  but  already  had  he 
been  twice  baffled  by  a  woman.  Still  he  continued  his 
journey.  He  had  this  consolation,  the  Dahcotah  girls  did 
not  turn  into  birds  and  fly  away.  At  least  there  was  the 
charm  of  novelty  in  the  incidents.  The  next  day  he  killed 
a  bear,  but  as  usual  he  fell  asleep  while  the  tongue  was 
roasting,  and  this  time  he  was  waked  by  a  porcupine. 
The  fourth  day  he  found  his  arrow  in  a  buffalo.  "  Now," 
said  he,  "I  will  eat  at  last,  and  I  will  find  out,  too,  who 
and  what  it  is  that  wakes  me." 

But  he  fell  asleep  as  usual,  and  was  waked  in  the 
morning  by  a  female  who  touched  him  lightly  and  pointed 
to  the  path.  Her  back  was  turned  towards  him,  and 
instead  of  rising  to  follow  her,  he  caught  her  in  his  arms, 
determined  to  see  and  talk  with  her. 

Finding  herself  a  prisoner,  the  girl  turned  her  face  to 
him,  and  Chaske  had  never  seen  anything  so  beautiful. 

Her  skin  was  white  as  the  fairest  flower  that  droops  its 
head  over  the  banks  of  the  "  Lac  qui  parle."  Her  hair 
was  not  plaited,  neither  was  it  black  like  the  Dahcotah 
maidens',  but  it  hung  in  golden  ringlets  about  her  face  and 
neck.  The  warm  blood  tinted  her  cheeks  as  she  met  the 
ardent  gaze  of  the  Dahcotah,  and  Chaske  could  not  ask 
her  who  she  was.  How  could  he  speak  when  his  heart 
was  throbbing,  and  every  pulse  beating  wildly  ? 

"  Let  me  go,"  said   the    girl ;    "  why  do  you  seek  to 


182  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

detain  me  ?  I  am  a  beaver-woman,*  and  you  are  a  Dah- 
cotah  warrior.  Turn  from  me  and  find  a  wife  among  the 
dark-faced  maidens  of  your  tribe." 

"  I  have  always  despised  them,"  said  the  Dahcotah, 
"but  you  are  more  beautiful  than  the  Spirits  of  the  water. 
I  love  you,  and  will  make  you  my  wife." 

"Then  you  must  give  up  your  people,"  replied  the  girl, 
"  for  I  cannot  live  as  the  Dahcotah  women.  Come  with 
me  to  my  white  lodge,  and  we  will  be  happy  ;  for  see  the 
bright  water  as  it  falls  on  the  rocks.  We  will  sit  by  its 
banks  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  when  we  are  tired, 
the  music  of  its  waves  will  lull  us  to  sleep." 

So  she  took  Chaske  by  the  hand,  and  they  walked  on  till 
they  came  to  an  empty  white  lodge,  and  there  they  lived 
and  were  very  happy.  They  were  still  happier  when  their 
little  boy  began  to  play  about  the  lodge ;  for  although  they 
loved  each  other  very  much,  still  it  was  lonely  where  they 
lived,  and  the  child  was  company  for  them  both. 

There  was  one  thing,  however,  that  troubled  the  Dah 
cotah  ;  he  could  not  turn  his  mind  from  it,  and  day  after 
day  passed  without  relieving  him  from  his  perplexity. 

His  beautiful  wife  never  ate  with  him.  When  he  re 
turned  in  the  evening  from  hunting,  she  was  always  glad 
to  see  him,  and  while  he  rested  himself  and  smoked,  she 
would  cook  his  meat  for  him,  and  seem  anxious  to  make 
him  comfortable.  But  he  had  never  seen  her  eat;  and 
when  he  would  tell  her  that  he  did  not  like  to  eat  alone, 
and  beg  her  to  sit  down  and  eat  with  him,  she  would  say 
she  was  not  hungry ;  and  then  employ  herself  about  her 

*  According  to  the  wise  men  of  the  Dahcotahs,  beavers  and  bears  have 
souls.  They  have  many  traditions  about  bear  and  beaver-women. 


OECHE-MONESAH  ;   THE  WANDERER.  183 

wigwam,  as  if  she  did  not  wish  him  to  say  any  more 
about  it. 

Chaske  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  find  out  what 
his  wife  lived  upon.  So  the  next  morning  he  took  his  bow 
and  arrows,  as  if  he  were  going  out  on  a  day's  hunt.  After 
going  a  short  distance  from  the  lodge,  he  hid  himself  in  the 
trees,  where  he  could  watch  the  motions  of  his  wife. 

She  left  the  lodge  after  a  while,  and  with  an  axe  in  her 
hand  she  approached  a  grove  of  poplar  trees.  After  care 
fully  looking  round  to  satisfy  herself  that  there  was  no  one 
near,  she  cut  down  a  number  of  the  small  and  tender  pop 
lars,  and,  carrying  them  home,  ate  them  as  if  she  enjoyed 
them  very  much.  Chaske  was  infinitely  relieved  when  he 
saw  that  his  wife  did  eat;  for  it  frightened  him  to  think 
that  she  lived  on  nothing  but  air.  But  it  was  so  droll  to 
think  she  should  eat  young  trees!  surely  venison  was  a 
great  deal  better. 

But,  like  a  good  husband,  he  thought  it  was  his  duty  to 
humor  his  wife's  fancies.  And  then  he  loved  her  tenderly 
— he  had  given  up  country  and  home  for  her.  She  was  so 
good  and  kind,  and  her  beautiful  hair  !  Chaske  called  her 
"  The  Mocassin  Flower,"  for  her  golden  ringlets  reminded 
him  of  that  beautiful  flower.  "  She  shall  not  have  to  cut 
the  trees  down  herself,"  said  Chaske,  "I  will  bring  her  food 
while  she  prepares  mine."  So  he  went  out  to  hunt,  and 
returned  in  the  evening ;  and  while  his  wife  was  cooking 
his  supper,  he  went  to  the  poplar  grove  and  cut  a  number 
of  young  trees ;  he  then  brought  them  to  the  lodge,  and, 
laying  them  down,  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  I  have  found  out 
at  last  what  you  like." 

No   one   would   suppose   but   that  the   beaver-woman 


184  LEGENDS  OF  THE  SIOUX. 

would  have  been  grateful  to  her  husband  for  thinking  of 
her.  Instead  of  that,  she  was  very  angry  ;  and,  taking  her 
child  in  her  arms,  she  left  the  lodge.  Chaske  was  aston 
ished  to  see  his  gentle  wife  angry,  but  he  concluded  he 
would  eat  his  supper,  and  then  follow  her,  hoping  that  in 
the  meantime  she  would  recover  her  good  temper. 

When  he  went  out,  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  He 
called  her — he  thought  at  first  that  she  had  hid  herself. 
But,  as  night  came  on,  and  neither  she  nor  the  child  re 
turned,  the  deserted  husband  grew  desperate;  he  could  not 
stay  in  his  lodge,  and  the  only  thing  that  he  could  do  was 
to  start  in  search  of  her. 

He  walked  all  night,  but  saw  no  trace  of  her.  About 
sunrise  he  came  to  a  stream,  and  following  it  up  a  little 
way  he  came  to  a  beaver  dam,  and  on  it  sat  his  wife  with 
her  child  in  her  arms.  And  beautiful  she  looked,  with  her 
long  tresses  falling  into  the  water. 

Chaske  was  delighted  to  find  her.  "  Why  did  you  leave 
me?"  called  he.  "I  should  have  died  of  grief  if  I  had  not 
found  you." 

"Did  I  not  tell  you  that  I  could  not  live  like  the  Dahco- 
tah  women?"  replied  Mocassin  Flower.  "  You  need  not 
have  watched  me  to  find  out  what  I  eat.  Return  to  your 
own  people ;  you  will  find  there  women  enough  who  eat 
venison." 

The  little  boy  clapped  his  hands  with  delight  when  he 
saw  his  father,  and  wanted  to  go  to  him ;  but  his  mother 
would  not  let  him.  She  tied  a  string  to  his  leg  and  told 
him  to  go,  and  the  child  would  plunge  into  the  water,  and 
when  he  had  nearly  reached  the  shore  where  his  father  sat, 
then  would  the  beaver-woman  draw  him  back. 


OECHE-MONESAH ;   THE   WANDERER.  185 

In  the  meantime  the  Dahcotah  had  been  trying  to  per 
suade  his  wife  to  come  to  him,  and  return  to  the  lodge ;  but 
she  refused  to  do  so,  and  sat  combing  her  long  hair.  The 
child  had  cried  itself  to  sleep ;  and  the  Dahcotah,  worn  out 
with  fatigue  and  grief,  thought  he  would  go  to  sleep  too. 

After  a  while  a  woman  came  and  touched  him  on  the 
shoulder,  and  awaked  him  as  of  old.  He  started  and  looked 
at  her,  and  perceiving  it  was  not  his  wife,  felt  inclined  to 
take  little  notice  of  her. 

"What,"  said  she,  "does  a  Dahcotah  warrior  still  love 
a  woman  who  hates  him?" 

"  Mocassin  Flower  loves  me  well,"  replied  the  Dahcotah  ; 
"  she  has  been  a  good  wife." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  woman,  "  she  was  for  a  time ;  but 
she  sighs  to  return  home — her  heart  yearns  towards  the 
lover  of  her  youth." 

Chaske  was  very  angry.  "  Can  this  be  true  ?"  he  said  ; 
and  he  looked  towards  the  beaver  dam  where  his  wife  still 
sat.  In  the  meantime  the  woman  who  had  waked  him, 
brought  him  some  food  in  bark  dishes  worked  with  porcu 
pine. 

"  Eat,"  she  said  to  the  Dahcotah  ;   "  you  are  hungry." 

But  who  can  tell  the  fury  that  Mocassin  Flower  was  in 
when  she  saw  that  strange  woman  bringing  her  husband 
food.  "  Who  are  you,"  she  cried,  "  that  are  troubling 
yourself  about  my  husband  ?  I  know  you  well ;  you  are 
the  «  Bear- Woman.'  " 

"  And  if  I  am,"  said  the  Bear  woman,  "  do  not  the  souls 
of  the  bears  enjoy  forever  the  heaven  of  the  Dahcotah  ?" 

Poor  Chaske  !  he  could  not  prevent  their  quarrelling,  so, 
being  very  hungry,  he  soon  disposed  of  what  the  Bear  wo- 


186  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

man  had  brought  him.  When  he  had  done  eating,  she 
took  the  bark  dishes.  "  Come  with  me,"  she  said;  "you 
cannot  live  in  the  water,  and  I  will  take  you  to  a  beautiful 
lodge,  and  we  will  be  happy." 

The  Dahcotah  turned  to  his  wife,  but  she  gave  him  no 
encouragement  to  remain.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "I  always 
loved  adventures,  and  I  will  go  and  seek  some  more." 

The  new  wife  was  not  half  so  pretty  as  the  old  one. 
Then  she  was  so  wilful,  and  ordered  him  aboui> — as  if  wo 
men  were  anything  but  dogs  in  comparison  with  a  Dahco 
tah  warrior.  Yes,  he  who  had  scorned  the  Dahcotah  girls, 
as  they  smiled  upon  him,  was  now  the  slave  of  a  bear- 
woman  ;  but  there  was  one  comfort — there  were  no  war 
riors  to  laugh  at  him. 

For  a  while  they  got  on  well  enough.  His  wife  had 
twin  children — one  was  a  fine  young  Dahcotah,  and  the 
other  was  a  smart  active  little  bear,  and  it  was  very  amus 
ing  to  see  them  play  together.  But  in  all  their  fights  the 
young  Dahcotah  had  the  advantage ;  though  the  little  bear 
would  roll  and  tumble,  and  stick  his  claws  into  the  Dahco 
tah,  yet  it  always  ended  by  the  little  bear's  capering  off 
and  roaring  after  his  mother.  Perhaps  this  was  the  rea 
son,  but  for  some  reason  or  other  the  mother  did  not  seem 
contented  and  happy.  One  morning  she  woke  up  very 
early,  and  while  telling  her  husband  that  she  had  a  bad 
dream,  the  dog  commenced  barking  outside  the  lodge. 

"  What  can  be  the  matter  ?"  said  Chaske. 

"  Oh!"  said  the  woman,  "  I  know ;  there  is  a  hunter  out 
there  who  wants  to  kill  me,  but  I  am  not  afraid." 

So  saying,  she  put  her  head  out  of  the  door,  which  the 
hunter  seeing,  shot  his  arrow  ;  but  instead  of  hurting  her, 


OCHE-MONESAH  ;   THE   WANDERER.  187 

the  arrow  fell  t<*  the  ground,  and  the  bear- woman  catching 
up  her  little,  child,  ran  away  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"  Ha  !"  said  Chaske,  "I  had  better  have  married  a  Dah- 
cotah  girl,  for  they  do  not  run  away  from  their  husbands 
except  when  another  wife  comes  to  take  their  place.  Bat 
I  have  been  twice  deserted."  So  saying,  he  took  the  little 
Dahcotah  in  his  arms,  and  followed  his  wife.  '  Towards 
evening  he  came  up  with  her,  but  she  did  not  seem  glad  to 
see  him.  He  asked  her  why  she  left  him;  she  replied,  "I 
want  to  live  with  my  own  people."  "  Well,"  said  the  Dah 
cotah,  "  I  will  go  with  you."'  The  woman  consented,  though 
it  was  plain  she  did  not  want  him ;  for  she  hated  her 
Dahcotah  child,  and  would  not  look  at  him. 

After  travelling  a  few  days,  they  approached  a  grove  of 
trees,  which  grew  in  a  large  circle.  "  Do  you  see  that  nest 
of  trees  ?"  said  the  woman.  "  There  is  the  great  village  of 
the  bears.  There  are  many  young  men  there  that  loved 
me,  and  they  will  hate  you  because  I  preferred  you  to 
them.  Take  your  boy,  then,  and  return  to  your  people." 
But  the  Dahcotah  feared  not,  and  they  approached  the  vil 
lage  of  the  bears. 

There  was  a  great  commotion  among  the  bears  as  they 
discovered  them.  They  were  glad  to  see  the  young  bear- 
woman  back  again,  but  they  hated  the  Dahcotah,  and 
determined  on  his  death.  However,  they  received  him 
hospitably,  conducted  him  and  his  wife  to  a  large  lodge, 
gave  them  food,  and  the  tired  travellers  were  soon  asleep. 

But  the  Dahcotah  soon  perceived  he  was  among  enemies, 
and  he  kept  a  careful  look  out  upon  them.  The  little 
Dahcotah  was  always  quarrelling  with  the  young  bears ; 
and  on  one  occasion,  being  pretty  hungry,  a  cub  annoying 


188  LEGENDS  OP  THE   SIOUX. 

him  at  the  time  very  much,  he  deliberately  shot  the  cub 
with  his  bow  and  arrow,  and  ate  him  up.  This  aroused 
the  vengeance  of  the  bears ;  they  had  a  consultation  among 
themselves,  and  swore  they  would  kill  both  father  and  son. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  of  the  troubles  of  Chaske. 
His  wife,  he  could  see,  loved  one  of  the  bears,  and  was 
anxious  for  his  own  death ;  but  whenever  he  contended 
with  the  bears  he  came  off  victor.  Whether  in  running  a 
foot  race,  or  shooting  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  or  whatever  it 
might  be,  he  always  won  the  prize,  and  this  made  his  ene 
mies  still  more  venomous. 

Four  years  had  now  passed  si  ace  Chaske  left  his  native 
village,  and  nothing  had  ever  been  heard  of  him.  But  at 
length  the  wanderer  returned. 

But  who  would  have  recognized,  in  the  crest-fallen,  mel 
ancholy-looking  Indian,  the  gay  warrior  that  had  left  home 
but  a  few  years  before  ?  The  little  boy  that  held  his  hand 
was  cheerful  enough,  and  seemed  to  recognize  acquaintances, 
instead  of  looking  for  the  first  time  on  the  faces  of  his 
father's  friends. 

How  did  the  young  girls  laugh  when  he  told  of  the 
desertion  of  his  first  wife  ;  but  when  he  continued  his  story, 
and  told  them  of  the  faithlessness  of  the  bear  woman  also, 
you  heard  nothing  but  shouts  of  derision.  Was  it  not  a 
triumph  for  the  Dahcotah  women  ?  How  had  he  scorned 
them  before  he  went  away  !  Did  he  not  say  that  women 
were  onlydogs,  or  worse  than  dogs  ? 

But  there  was  one  among  his  old  acquaintances  who 
would  not  join  in  the  laughter.  As  she  looked  on  the 
care-worn  countenance  of  the  warrior,  she  would  fain  have 
offered  to  put  new  mocassins  upon  his  feet,  and  bring  him 


OECHT-MONESAH  ;   THE  WANDERER.  189 

food.  But  she  dared  not  subject  herself  to  the  ridicule  of 
her  companions — though  as  night  came  on,  she  sought  him 
when  there  was  no  one  to  heed  her. 

"  Cbaske,"  she  called — and  the  Dahcotah  turned  hastily 
towards  her,  attracted  by  the  kindness  of  her  voice — "  there 
are  no  women  who  love  as  the  Dahcotah  women.  I  would 
have  gone  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  with  you,  but  you  de 
spised  rne.  You  have  come  back,  and  are  laughed  at.  Care 
has  broken  your  spirit,  or  you  would  not  submit  to  the 
sneers  of  your  old  friends,  and  the  contempt  of  those  who 
once  feared  you.  I  will  be  your  wife,  and,  mingling  again 
in  the  feasts  and  customs  of  your  race,  you  will  soon  be  the 
bold  and  fearless  warrior  that  you  were  when  you  left  us." 

And  her  words  were  true ;  for  the  Indians  soon  learned 
that  they  were  not  at  liberty  to  talk  to  Chaske  of  his  wan 
derings.  He  never  spoke  of  his  former  wives,  except  to 
compare  them  with  his  present,  who  was  as  faithful  and 
obedient  as  they  were  false  and  troublesome.  "  And  he 
found,"  says  Chequered  Cloud,  "  that  there  was  no  land 
like  the  Dahcotah's,  no  river  like  the  Father  of  waters,  and 
no  happiness  like  that  of  following  the  deer  across  the  open 
prairies,  or  of  listening,  in  the  long  summer  days,  to  the 
wisdom  of  the  medicine  men." 

And  she  who  had  loved  him  in  his  youth,  and  wept  for  him 
in  his  absence,  now  lies  by  his  side — for  Chaske  has  taken 
another  long  journey.  Death  has  touched  him,  but  not 
lightly,  and  pointed  to  the  path  which  leads  to  the  Land  of 
Spirits — and  he  did  not  go  alone ;  for  her  life  closed  with  his, 
and  together  their  spirits  watch  over  the  mortal  frames  that 
they  once  tenanted. 

"  Look  at  the  white  woman's  life,"  said  Chequered  Cloud, 


190  LEGENDS   OP   THE   SIOUX. 

as  she  concluded  the  story  of  Chaske,  "  and  then  at  the 
Dahcotah's.  You  sleep  on  a  soft  bed,  while  the  Dahcotah 
woman  lays  her  head  upon  the  ground,  with  only  her 
blanket  for  a  covering;  when  you  are  hungry  you  eat,  but 
for  days  has  the  Dahcotah  woman  wanted  for  food,  and 
there  was  none  to  give  it.  Your  children  are  happy,  and 
fear  nothing ;  ours  have  crouched  in  the  earth  at  night, 
when  the  whoop  and  yell  of  the  Chippeways  sent  terror  to 
their  young  hearts,  and  trembling  to  their  tender  limbs. 

"And  when  the  fire-water  of  the  white  man  has  maddened 
the  senses  of  the  Dahcotah,  so  that  the  blow  of  his  war  club 
falls  upon  his  wife  instead  of  his  enemy,  even  then  the 
Dahcotah  woman  must  live  and  suffer  on."  "  But,  Che 
quered  Cloud,  the  spirit  of  the  Dahcotah  watches  over  the 
body  which  remains  on  earth.  Did  you  not  say  the  soul 
went  to  the  house  of  spirits  ?" 

"  The  Dahcotah  has  four  souls,"  replied  the  old  woman ; 
11  one  wanders  about  the  earth,  and  requires  food  ;  another 
protects  the  body ;  the  third  goes  to  the  Land  of  Spirits, 
while  the  fourth  forever  hovers  around  his  native  village." 

"  I  wish,"  said  I,  "  that  you  would  believe  in  the  God  of 
the  white  people.  You  would  then  learn  that  there  is  but 
one  soul,  and  that  that  soul  will  be  rewarded  for  the  good  it 
has  done  in  this  life,  or  punished  for  the  evil." 

"The  Great  Spirit,"  she  replied,  "  is  the  God  of  the 
Dahcotah.  He  made  all  things  but  thunder  and  wild  rice. 
When  we  do  wrong  we  are  punished  in  this  world.  If  we 
do  not  live  up  to  the  laws  of  our  forefathers,  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  will  punish  us.  We  must  keep  up  the  customs 
of  our  tribe.  If  we  are  afraid  that  the  thunder  will  strike 
us,  we  dance  in  honor  of  it,  and  destroy  its  power.  Our 


OECHE-MONESAH  ;    THE    WANDERER.  191 

great  medicine  feasts  are  given  in  honor  of  our  sacred  medi 
cine,  which  will  not  only  heal  the  sick,  but  will  preserve  us 
in  danger ;  and  we  make  feasts  for  the  dead. 

"  Our  children  are  taught  to  do  right.  They  are  not 
to  injure  one  who  has  not  harmed  them ;  but  where  is  the 
Dahcotah  who  will  not  rejoice  as  he  takes  the  life  of  his 
enemy  ?" 

"But,"  said  I,  "  you  honor  the  thunder,  and  yet  it 
strikes  you.  What  is  the  thunder,  and  where  does  it  come 
from?" 

"  Thunder  is  a  large  bird,  flying  through  the  air ;  its 
bright  tracks  are  seen  in  the  heavens,  before  you  hear  the 
clapping  of  its  wings.  But  it  is  the  young  ones  who  do 
the  mischief.  The  parent  bird  would  not  hurt  a  Dahcotah. 
Long  ago  a  thunder  bird  fell  dead  from  the  heavens ;  and 
our  fathers  saw  it  as  it  lay  not  far  from  Little  Crow's 
village. ' 

"  It  had  a  face  like  a  Dahcotah  warrior,  with  a  nose  like 
an  eagle's  bill.  Its  body  was  long  and  slender,  its  wings 
were  large,  and  on  them  was  painted  the  lightning.  Our 
warriors  were  once  out  hunting  in  the  winter,  when  a  ter 
rible  storm  came  on,  and  a  large  thunder  bird  descended  to 
the  earth,  wearing  snow-shoes;  he  took  but  a  few  steps 
and  then  rose  up,  leaving  his  tracks  in  the  snow.  That 
winter  our  hunters  killed  many  bears." 


TAH.VE-CHTJ.KIN; 

THE    WIFE. 


IN  February,  1837,  a  party  of  Dahcotahs  (Warpetonian) 
fell  in  with  Hole-in-the-Day,  and  his  band.  When  Chip- 
peways  and  Dahcotahs  meet  there  is  generally  bloodshed ; 
and,  however  highly  Hole-in-the-Day  may  be  esteemed  as 
a  warrior,  it  is  certain  that  he  showed  great  treachery 
towards  the  Dahcotahs  on  many  occasions. 

Now  they  met  for  peaceable  purposes.  Hole-in-the-Day 
wished  permission  to  hunt  on  the  Dahcotah  lands  without 
clanger  from  the  tomahawk  of  his  enemies.  He  proposed 
to  pay  them  certain  articles,  which  he  should  receive  from 
the  United  States  Government  when  he  drew  his  annu 
ities,  as  a  return  for  the  privilege  he  demanded. 

The  Dahcotahs  and  Chippeways  were  seated  together. 
They  had  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace.  The  snow  had 
drifted,  and  lay  piled  in  masses  behind  them,  contrasting 
its  whiteness  with  their  dark  countenances  and  their  gay 
ornaments  and  clothing.  For  some  years  there  had  been 
peace  between  these  two  tribes ;  hating  each  other,  as  they 
did,  they  had  managed  to  live  without  shedding  each 
other's  blood. 

Hole-in-the-Day  was  the  master  spirit  among  the  Chip- 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN  ;   THE  WIPE.  193 

peways.  He  was  the  greatest  hunter  and  warrior  in  the 
nation ;  he  had  won  the  admiration  of  his  people,  and  they 
had  made  him  chief.  His  word  was  law  to  them ;  he 
stood  firmly  on  the  height  to  which  he  had  elevated  him 
self. 

He  laid  aside  his  pipe  and  arose.  His  iron  frame 
seemed  not  to  feel  the  keen  wind  that  was  shaking  the 
feathers  in  the  heads  of  the  many  warriors  who  fixed  their 
eyes  upon  him. 

He  addressed  the  Dahcotah  warriors.  "  All  nations," 
said  he,  "  as  yet  continue  the  practice  of  war,  but  as  for 
me,  I  now  abandon  it.  I  hold  firmly  the  hand  of  the 
Americans.  If  you,  in  future,  strike  me  twice  or  even 
three  times,  I  will  pass  over  and  not  revenge  it.  If  wars 
should  continue,  you  and  I  will  not  take  part  in  them. 
You  shall  not  fight,  neither  will  I.  There  shall  be  no 
more  war  in  that  part  of  the  country  lying  between  Pine 
Island  and  the  place  called  Hanwi  catintipi,  (They  shot 
them  in  the  night).  Over  this  extent  of  country  we  will 
hold  the  pipe  firmly.  You  shall  hold  it  by  the  bowl,  and 
we  will  hold  it  by  the  stem.  The  pipe  shall  be  in  your 
keeping."  So  saying,  Hole-in-the-Day  advanced  and  pre 
sented  the  Dahcotahs  with  a  pipe. 

After  a  moment  he  continued  his  speech.  "On  account 
of  your  misconduct,  we  did  desire  your  death,  and  if  you 
had  met  us  last  winter  to  treat  of  peace,  however  great 
your  numbers,  we  should  have  killed  you  all.  White  men 
had  ordered  us  to  do  so,  and  we  should  have  done  it; 
because  the  Mendewakantonwans  had  informed  us  that 
you  intended  by  treachery  to  kill  us." 

The  Dahcotah  chief  then  replied  to  him  saying,  that  the 

9 


194  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

Dahcotahs  were  willing  that  the  Chippeways  should  hunt 
on  their  lands  to  the  borders  of  the  prairie,  but  that  they 
should  not  enter  the  prairie.  The  Chippeways  then  agreed 
to  pay  them  a  large  quantity  of  sugar,  a  keg  of  powder, 
and  a  quantity  of  lead  and  tobacco. 

After  their  engagement  was  concluded,  Hole-in-the-Day 
rose  again  and  said,  "  In  the  name  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
this  peace  shall  be  forever,"  and,  turning  to  Wandiokiya 
(the  Man  that  talks  to  the  Eagle),  a  Dahcotah  who  had  been 
taught  by  the  missionaries  to  read  and  write,  requested 
him  to  commit  to  writing  the  agreement  which  had  just 
been  made. 

Wandiokiya  did  so,  and  has  since  forwarded  the  writing 

to  the  Rev.  Mr.  P ,  who  resides  near  Fort  Snelling. 

The  Dahcotah  adds,  "  We  have  now  learned  that  the 
object  of  Hole-in-the-Day  was  to  deceive  and  kill  us ;  and 
he  and  his  people  have  done  so,  showing  that  they  neither 
fear  God  nor  the  chief  of  the  American  people. 

"  In  this  manner  they  deceived  us,  deceived  us  in  the 
name  of  the  Gods. 

"  Hole-in-the-Day  led  the  band  of  murderers. 

"  WANDIOKIYA." 


CHAPTER    II, 

WE  shall  see  how  faithfully  the  Chippeway  chief  kept 
the  treaty  that  he  had  called  upon  the  Great  Spirit  to 
witness.  There  has  been  great  diversity  of  opinion  con 
cerning  Hole-in-the-Day.  The  Chippeways  and  Dal> 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN  ;    THE    WIFE.  195 

cotahs  all  feared  him.  Some  of  the  white  people  who 
knew  him  admired,  while  others  detested  his  character. 

He  was  certainly,  what  all  the  Chippeways  have  been, 
a  friend  of  the  white  people,  and  equally  an  enemy  to  the 
Dahcotahs.  He  encouraged  all  attempts  that  were  made 
towards  the  civilization  of  his  people ;  he  tried  to  induce 
them  to  cultivate  the  ground ;  indeed,  he  sometimes 
assumed  the  duties  which  among  savages  are  supposed  to 
belong  exclusively  to  females,  and  has  been  frequently 
seen  to  work  in  his  garden.  Had  it  been  possible,  he 
would  even  have  forced  the  Chippeways  to  civilization. 

He  had  three  wives — all  sisters.  He  was  fond  of  them, 
but  if  they  irritated  him,  by  disputing  among  themselves, 
or  neglecting  any  thing  which  he  found  necessary  to  his 
comfort,  he  was  very  violent.  Blows  were  the  only  argu 
ments  he  used  on  such  occasions. 

The  present  chief  is  one  of  his  children  ;  several  of  them 
died  young,  and  their  father  felt  their  loss  most  keenly. 
Grave  and  stoical  as  was  his  deportment,  his  feelings  were 
very  strong,  and  not  easily  controlled. 

He  was  a  man  of  deep  thought,  and  of  great  ambition. 
The  latter  passion  was  gratified  to  as  great  a  degree  as 
was  possible.  Loved  by  his  tribe,  feared  by  his  enemies, 
respected  and  well  treated  by  the  white  people,  what  more 
could  a  savage  ask  ?  Among  the  Indians  he  was  a  great 
man,  but  he  was  truly  great  in  cunning  and  deceit. 

On  this  occasion,  however,  the  Dahcotahs  had  perfect 
confidence  in  him,  and  it  was  on  the  first  day  of  April,  in 
the  same  year,  that  they  arrived  at  the  place  appointed  to 
meet  the  Chippeways,  near  the  east  branch  of  the  Chippe- 
way  river,  about  thirty  miles  northeast  of  Lac  qui  parle. 


196  LEGENDS  OF  THE   SIOUX. 

The  women  raised  the  teepees,  six  in  number,  and  prepared 
the  scanty  portion  of  food  for  their  families.  Here  they 
remained,  until  their  patience  was  almost  exhausted,  con 
stantly  expecting  Hole-in-the-Day  to  appear  ;  but  day  after 
day  passed,  and  they  were  s,till  disappointed.  Now  and 
then  the  reports  of  fire-arms  were  heard  near  them,  but 
still  the  Chippeways  did  not  visit  the  camp  of  the  Dahcotahs. 

Famine  now  showed  itself  among  them.  They  had  nei 
ther  corn  nor  flour.  Had  the  wild  ducks  flown  over  their 
heads  in  clouds,  there  was  but  little  powder  and  shot  to 
kill  them — but  there  were  few  to  be  seen.  Some  of  the 
Indians  proposed  moving  their  camp  where  game  was  more 
plenty — where  they  might  see  deer,  and  use  their  bows  and 
arrows  to  some  purpose.  But  others  said,  if  they  were  not 
at  the  appointed  place  of  meeting,  they  would  violate  the 
contract,  and  lose  their  claim  to  the  articles  that  Hole-in- 
the-day  had  promised  to  deliver  to  them. 

It  was  finally  concluded  that  the  party  should  divide,  one 
half  moving  off  in  search  of  food,  the  other  half  remaining 
where  they  were,  in  hopes  that  Hole-in-the-Day  would  make 
his  appearance. 

Three  teepees  then  remained,  and  they  were  occupied  by 
seventeen  persons,  all  women  and  children  excepting  four. 

It  was  drawing  on  towards  evening,  when  the  Dahtocahs 
heard  the  sound  of  footsteps,  and  their  satisfaction  was  very 
great,  when  they  perceived  the  Chippeway  chief  approach, 
accompanied  by  ten  of  his  men.  These  men  had  been 
present  at  the  council  of  peace  in  February. 

One  of  the  Dahcotahs,  named  Red  Face,  had  left  his 
family  in  the  morning,  to  attend  to  the  traps  he  had  set  for 
beaver.  He  had  not  returned  when  the  Chippeways  arrived. 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN ;   THE   WIFE.  197 

His  two  wives  were  with  the  Dahcotahs  who  received  the 
Chippeways.  One  of  these  women  had  two  children  ;  the 
other  was  quite  young,  and,  according  to  Indian  ideas, 
beautiful  too.  She  was  the  favorite  wife. 

The  Dahcotahs  received  the  Chippeways  with  real  pleas 
ure,  in  full  faith  and  confidence.  "  Hole-in-the-Day  has 
been  long  in  coming,"  said  one  of  the  Dahcotahs ;  "his 
friends  have  wished  to  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  with  him, 
but  some  of  them  have  left  us  to  seek  for  food.  We  wel 
come  you,  and  will  eat  together,  and  our  friendship  shall 
last  forever."  Hole-in-the-Day  met  his  advances  with  every 
appearance  of  cordiality.  One  thing,  however,  the  Dahco 
tahs  observed,  that  the  Chippeways  did  not  fire  their  guns 
off  when  they  arrived,  which  is  done  by  Indians  when  they 
make  a  visit  of  friendship. 

The  party  passed  the  evening  in  conversation.  All  the 
provisions  of  the  Dahcotahs  were  called  in  requisition  to 
feast  the  Chippeways.  After  eating,  the  pipe  went  round 
again,  and  at  a  late  hour  they  laid  down  to  sleep,  the  Chip 
peways  dividing  their  party,  several  in  each  teepee. 

Hole-in-the-day  lay  down  by  the  side  of  his  host,  so 
motionless  you  would  have  thought  that  sleep  had  paralyzed 
his  limbs  and  senses;  his  regular  breathing  intimates  a 
heart  at  peace  with  himself  and  his  foes;  but  that  heart 
was  beating  fast,  for  in  a  moment  he  raises  himself  cau 
tiously,  gazes  and  smiles  too  upon  the  sleeping  Dahcotah 
beside  him.  He  gives  the  appointed  signal,  and  instanta 
neously  plunges  his  knife  into  the  heart  of  the  trusting 
Dahcotah.  It  was  child's  play  afterwards  to  quiet  the 
shrill  shrieks  of  the  terrified  wife.  A  moment  more,  and 
she  and  her  child  lay  side  by  side,  never  to  awake  again. 


198  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

For  a  short  time  broken  and  shrill  cries  were  heard  from 
the  other  'teepees,  but  they  were  soon  over.  The  two  wives 
of  Red  Face  had  laid  down  without  a  fear,  though  their 
protector  was  absent.  The  elder  of  the  two  clasped  her 
children  to  her  heart,  consoled,  in  a  measure,  while  listening 
to  their  calm  breathing,  for  the  loss  of  the  love  of  her  hus* 
band.  She  knew  that  the  affections  of  a  husband  might 
vary,  but  the  tie  between  mother  and  child  is  indissoluble. 

The  young  wife  wondered  that  Red  Face  was  not  by 
her  side.  But  he  would  return  to-morrow,  and  her  wel 
come  would  be  all  the  greeting  that  he  would  wish  for. 
While  her  thoughts  are  assuming  the  form  of  dreams,  she 
sees  the  fatal  weapon  pointed  at  the  mother  and  child. 
The  bullet  that  kills  the  sleeping  infant  on  its  mother's 
breast,  wounds  the  mother  also;  but  she  flies  in  horror, 
though  not  soon  enough  to  escape  the  sight  of  her  other 
pleading  child,  her  warrior  son,  vainly  clasping  his  hands  in 
entreaty  to  the  savage,  who,  with  another  blow  from  his 
tomahawk,  puts  an  end  to  his  sufferings.  The  wretched 
mother  escapes,  for  Hole-in-the-Day  enters  the  teepee, 
and  takes  prisoner  the  younger  wife.  She  escapes  a 
present  death — what  will  be  her  future  fate  ? 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  elder  of  the  two  wives  escaped  from  the  murderous 
Chippeways.  Again  and  again,  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  she  turns  back  to  flee  from  her  deadly  foe,  but  far 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN  ;    THE    WIFE.  199 

more  from  the  picture  of  her  children,  murdered  before  her 
eyes.  She  knew  the  direction  in  which  the  Dahcotahs  who 
had  left  the  party  had  encamped,  and  she  directed  her  steps 
to  find  them.  One  would  think  she  would  have  asked 
death  from  her  enemies — her  husband  loved  her  no  more, 
her  children  were  dead — but  she  clung  to  life. 

She  reached  the  teepees  at  last,  and  hastened  to  tell  of 
her  sorrows,  and  of  the  treachery  of  Hole-in-the-Day.  For  a 
moment  the  utmost  consternation  prevailed  among  the 
Indians,  but  revenge  was  the  second  thought,  and  rapidly 
were  their  preparations  made  to  seek  the  scene  of  the  mur 
der.  The  distance  was  accomplished  in  a  short  time,  and 
the  desolation  lay  before  their  eyes. 

The  fires  in  the  teepees  were  not  gone  out ;  the  smoke 
was  ascending  to  the  heavens  ;  while  the  voices  of  the  mur 
dered  Dahcotahs  seemed  to  call  upon  their  relatives  for 
revenge.  There  lay  the  warriors,  who,  brave  as  Hole-in- 
the-Day,  had  laid  aside  their  weapons,  and  reposed  on  the 
faith  of  their  enemies,  their  strong  limbs  powerless,  their 
faces  turned  towards  the  light,  which  fell  upon  their  glassy 
eyes.  See  the  mother,  as  she  bends  over  the  bodies  of  her 
innocent  children ! — her  boy,  who  walked  so  proudly,  and 
said  he  would  kill  deer  for  his  mother  ;  her  infant,  whose 
life  had  been  taken,  as  it  were,  from  her  very  heart.  She 
strains  them  to  her  bosom,  but  the  head  leans  not  towards 
her,  and  the  arms  are  stiff  in  death. 

Red  Face  has  asked  for  his  young  wife.  She  is  alive, 
but,  far  worse  than  death,  she  is  a  prisoner  to  the  Chippe- 
ways.  His  children  are  dead  before  his  eyes,  and  their 
mother,  always  obedient  and  attentive,  does  not  hear  him 
when  he  speaks  to  her.  The  remains  of  the  feast  are  scat- 


200  LEGENDS  OP  THE   SIOUX. 

tered  on  the  ground ;  the  pipe  of  peace  lies  broken  among 
them. 

In  the  course  of  the  morning  the  Rev.  Mr. ,  mis 
sionary  among  the  Dahcotahs,  with  the  assistance  of  an 
Indian  named  Round  Wind,  collected  the  bodies  and  buried 
them. 

Of  the  fourteen  persons  who  were  in  the  three  teepees, 
no  more  than  four  escaped ;  two  young  men  and  two 
women. 

The  Chippeways  fled  as  quickly  as  possible  from  the 
country  of  the  Dahcotahs,  with  their  prisoner — sad  change 
for  her.  A  favorite  wife  finds  herself  in  the  power  of  ten 
warriors,  the  enemies  of  her  people.  The  cries  of  her  mur 
dered  friends  are  yet  sounding  in  her  ears ;  and  she  knows 
not  how  soon  their  fate  may  be  hers.  Every  step  of  the 
weary  journey  she  pursues,  takes  her  farther  from  her  coun 
try.  She  dares  not  weep,  she  cannot  understand  the  lan 
guage  of  her  enemies,  but  she  understands  their  looks,  and 
knows  she  must  obey  them.  She  wishes  they  would  take 
her  life ;  she  would  take  it  herself,  but  she  is  watched,  and 
it  is  impossible. 

She  sees  by  their  angry  gestures  and  their  occasional 
looks  towards  her,  that  she  is  the  subject  of  their  dispute, 
until  the  chief  raises  his  eyes  and  speaks  to  the  Chippe 
ways — and  the  difference  ceases. 

At  length  her  journey  is  at  an  end.  They  arrive  at  the 
village,  and  Hole-in-the-Day  and  his  warriors  are  received 
with  manifestations  of  delight.  They  welcomed  him  as  if 
he  had  performed  a  deed  of  valor  instead  of  one  of  cow 
ardice. 

The  women  gaze  alternately  upon  the  scalps  and  upon 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN ;   THE   WIPE.  201 

the  prisoner.  She,  poor  girl,  is  calm  now ;  there  is  but 
one  thought  that  makes  her  tired  limbs  shake  with  terror. 
She  sees  with  a  woman's  quickness  that  there  is  no  female 
among  those  who  are  looking  at  her  as  beautiful  as  she  is. 
It  may  be  that  she  may  be  required  to  light  the  household 
fires  for  one  of  her  enemies.  She  sees  the  admiring  coun 
tenance  of  one  of  the  young  Chippeway  warriors  fixed 
upon  her ;  worn  out  with  fatigue,  she  cannot  support  the 
wretched  thought.  For  a  while  she  is  insensible  even  to 
her  sorrows. 

On  recovering,  food  is  given  her,  and  she  tries  to  eat. 
Nothing  but  death  can  relieve  her.  Where  are  the  spirits 
of  the  rocks  and  rivers  of  her  land  ?  Have  they  forgotten 
her  too  ? 

Hole-in-the-Day  took  her  to  his  teepee.  She  was  his 
prisoner,  he  chose  to  adopt  her,  and  treated  her  with  every 
kindness.  He  ordered  his  men  not  to  take  her  life  ;  she 
was  to  be  as  safe  in  his  teepee  as  if  she  were  his  wife  or 
child. 

For  a  few  days  she  is  allowed  to  remain  quiet ;  but  at 
length  she  is  brought  out  to  be  present  at  a  council  where 
her  fate  was  to  be  decided. 

Hole-in-the-Day  took  his  place  in  the  council,  and  or 
dered  the  prisoner  to  be  placed  near  him.  Her  pale  and 
resigned  countenance  was  a  contrast  to  the  angry  and  ex 
cited  faces  that  lowered  upon  her  ;  but  the  chief  looked  un 
concerned  as  to  the  event.  However  his  warriors  might 
contend,  the  result  of  the  council  would  depend  upon  him ; 
his  unbounded  influence  always  prevailed. 

After  several  speeches  had  been  made,  Stormy  Wind 
rose  and  addressed  the  chief.  His  opinion  was  that  the 

9* 


202  LEGENDS    OF   THE    SIOUX. 

prisoner  should  suffer  death.  The  Dahcotahs  had  always 
been  enemies,  and  it  was  the  glory  of  the  Chippeways  to 
take  the  lives  of  those  they  hated.  His  chief  had  taken 
the  prisoner  to  his  teepee  ;  she  was  safe  ;  she  was  a  mem 
ber  of  his  family — who  would  harm  her  there?  but  now 
they  were  in  council  to  decide  upon  her  fate.  He  was  an 
old  man,  had  seen  many  winters — he  had  often  travelled 
far  and  suffered  much  to  take  the  life  of  an  enemy;  and 
here,  where  there  is  one  in  their  power,  should  they  lose  the 
opportunity  of  revenge  ?  She  was  but  a  woman,  but  the 
Dahcotah  blood  flowed  in  her  veins.  She  was  not  fit  to 
live.  The  Eagle  spoke  next.  He  was  glad  that  the 
chief  had  taken  the  prisoner  to  his  teepee — it  had  been  al 
ways  customary  occasionally  to  adopt  a  prisoner,  and  the 
chief  did  well  to  keep  up  the  customs  of  their  tribe.  The 
prisoner  was  young,  she  could  be  taught  to  love  the  Chip- 
peway  nation  ;  the  white  people  did  not  murder  their  pris 
oners  ;  the  Chippeways  were  the  friends  of  the  white  peo 
ple  ;  let  them  ,do  as  they  did,  be  kind  to  the  prisoner  and 
spare  her  life.  The  Eagle  would  marry  the  Dahcotah  girl; 
he  would  teach  her  to  speak  the  language  of  her  adopted 
tribe ;  she  should  make  his  mocassins,  and  her  children 
would  be  Chippeways.  Let  the  chief  tell  the  Eagle  to 
take  the  girl  home  to  his  teepee. 

The  Eagle's  speech  created  an  excitement.  The  Indians 
rose  one  after  the  other,  insisting  upon  the  death  of  their 
prisoner.  One  or  two  seconded  the  Eagle's  motion  to'keep 
her  among  them,  but  the  voices  of  the  others  prevailed. 
The  prisoner  saw  by  the  faces  of  the  savages  what  their 
words  portended.  When  the  Eagle  rose  to  speak,  she  rec 
ognized  the  warrior  whose  looks  had  frightened  her ;  she 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN  ;   THE   WIFE.  5303 

knew  he  was  pleading  for  her  life  too ;  but  the  memory  of 
her  husband  took  away  the  fear  of  death.  Death  with  a 
thousand  terrors,  rather  than  live  a  wife,  a  slave  to  the 
Chippeways!  The  angry  Chippeways  are  silenced,  for 
their  chief  addresses  them  in  a  voice  of  thunder ;  every 
voice  is  hushed,  every  countenance  is  respectfully  turned 
towards  the  leader,  whose  words  are  to  decide  the  fate  of 
the  unhappy  woman  before  them. 

"  Where  is  the  warrior  that  will  not  listen  to  the  words 
of  his  chief?  my  voice  is  loud  and  you  shall  hear.  I 
have  taken  a  Dahcotah  woman  prisoner ;  I  have  chosen  to 
spare  her  life ;  she  has  lived  in  my  teepee ;  she  is  one  of 
my  family ;  you  have  assembled  in  council  to-day  to  de 
cide  her  fate — I  have  decided  it.  When  I  took  her  to  my 
teepee,  she  became  as  my  child  or  as  the  child  of  my  friend. 
You  shall  not  take  her  life,  nor  shall  you  marry  her.  She 
is  my  prisoner — she  shall  remain  in  my  teepee." 

Seeing  some  motion  of  discontent  among  those  who 
wished  to  take  her  life,  he  continued,  while  his  eyes  shot 
fire  and  his  broad  chest  heaved  with  anger : 

"  Come  then  and  take  her  life.  Let  me  see  the  brave 
warrior  who  will  take  the  life  of  my  prisoner  ?  Come  !  she 
is  here ;  why  do  you  not  raise  your  tomahawks  ?  It  is 
easy  to  take  a  woman's  scalp." 

Not  a  warrior  moves.  The  prisoner  looks  at  the  chief 
and  at  his  warriors.  Hole-in-the-Day  leads  her  from  the 
council  and  points  to  his  teepee,  which  is  again  her  home, 
and  where  she  is  as  safe  as  she  would  be  in  her  husband's 
teepee,  by  the  banks  of  the  Mine  So-to. 


204  LEGENDS  OF  THE   SIOUX. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

WHILE  the  wife  of  Red  Face  lived  from  day  to  day  in 
suspense  as  to  her  fate,  her  husband  made  every  effort  for 
her  recovery.  Knowing  that  she  was  still  alive,  he  could 
not  give  up  the  hope  of  seeing  her  again.  Accordingly,  the 
facts  were  made  known  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  the  Chippe- 
way  interpreter  was  sent  up  to  Hole-in-the-Day's  village, 
with  an  order  from  the  government  to  bring  her  down. 

She  had  been  expected  for  some  time,  when  an  excite 
ment  among  a  number  of  old  squaws,  who  were  standing 
outside  of  the  gate  of  the  fort,  showed  that  something  un 
usual  was  occasioning  expressions  of  pleasure  ;  and  as  the 
wife  of  Red  Face  advanced  towards  the  house  of  the  inter 
preter,  their  gratification  was  raised  to  the  utmost. 

Red  Face  and  some  of  the  Dahcotah  warriors  were  soon 
there  too — and  the  long  separated  husband  and  wife  were 
again  united. 

But  whatever  they  might  have  felt  on  the  occasion  of 
meeting  again,  they  showed  but  little  joy.  Red  Face  en 
tered  the  room  where  were  assembled  the  Indians  and  the 
officers  of  the  garrison.  He  shook  hands  with  the  officers 
and  with  the  interpreter,  and,  without  looking  at  his  wife, 
took  his  seat  with  the  other  Dahcotahs. 

But  her  composure  soon  left  her.  When  she  saw  him 
enter,  the  blood  mantled  in  her  pale  cheek — pale  with  long 
anxiety  and  recent  fatigue.  She  listened  while  the  Dah 
cotahs  talked  with  the  agent  and  the  commanding  officer  ; 


TAH-WE-CHU-KIN ;   THE   WIFE.  205 

and  at  last,  as  if  her  feelings  could  not  longer  be  restrained, 
she  arose,  crossed  the  room,  and  took  her  seat  at  his  feet ! 

The  chief  Hole-in-the-Day  has  been  dead  some  years, 
and,  in  one  of  the  public  prints,  it  was  stated  that  he  was 
thrown  from  his  carriage  and  killed.  This  was  a  genteel 
mode  of  dying,  which  cannot,  with  truth,  be  attributed  to 
him. 

He  always  deplored  the  habit  of  drinking,  to  which  the 
Indians  are  so  much  addicted.  In  his  latter  years,  however, 
he  could  not  withstand  the  temptation ;  and,  on  one  oc 
casion,  being  exceedingly  drunk,  he  was  put  into  an  ox 
cart,  and  being  rather  restive,  was  thrown  out,  and  the 
cart  wheel  went  over  him. 

Thus  died  Hole-in-the-Day— one  of  the  most  noted  In 
dians  of  the  present  day ;  and  his  eldest  son  reigns  in  his 
stead. 


HAOKAH,    THE    ANTI-NATURAL    GOD; 

ONE   OF    THE    GIANTS   OF    THE    DAHCOTAHS. 
Drawn  by  White  Deer,  a  Sioux  Warrior  who  lives  near  Fort  Snelling, 


EXPLANATION   OF   THE   DRAWING. 

1.  The  giant. 

2.  A  frog  that  the  giant  uses  for  an  arrow-point. 

3.  A  large  bird  that  that  the  giant  keeps  in  his  court. 

4.  Another  bird. 

5.  An  ornament  over  the  door  leading  into  the  court. 

6.  An  ornament  over  a  door. 

7.  Part  of  court  ornamented  with  down. 

8.  Part  of    do.          do.          with  red  down. 

9.  A  bear;  10,  a  deer;  11,  an  elk;  12,  a  buffalo. 
13,  14.  Incense-offering. 

15.  A  rattle  of  deer's  claws,  used  when  singing. 

16.  A  long  flute  or  whistle. 

17.  18,  19,  20.  Are  meteors  that  the  giant  sends  out  for  his  defence,  or  to 
protect  him  from  invasion. 

21,  22,  23,  24.  The  giant  surrounded  with  lightnings,  with  which  he  kills  all 
kinds  of  animals  that  molest  him. 

25.  Red  down  in  small  bunches  fastened  to  the  railing  of  the  court. 

26.  The  same.     One  of  these  bunches  of  red  down  disappears  every  time 
an  animal  is  found  dead  inside  the  court. 

27.  28.  Touchwood,  and  a  large  fungus  that  grows  on  trees. — These  are 
eaten  by  any  animal  that  enters  the  court,  and  this  food  causes  their  death. 

29.  A  streak  of  lightning  going  from  the  giant's  hat. 

30.  Giant's  head  and  hat.    31.  His  bow  and  arrow. 


WAH-ZEE-YAH; 


ANOTHER   OF  THE 


GIANT    GODS    OF    THE    DAHCOTAHS. 


WAH-ZEE-YAH  had  a  son  who  was  killed  by  Etokah 
Wachastah,  Man  of  the  South.  Wah-zee-yah  is  the  god 
of  the  winter,  and  Etokah  Wachastah  is  the  god  of  the 
summer.  When  there  is  a  cold  spell  early  in  the  warm 
weather,  the  Dahcotahs  say  Wah-zee-yah  is  looking  back. 
When  the  son  of  Wah-zee-yah  was  killed,  there  were  six 
on  each  side ;  the  Beings  of  the  south  were  too  strong  for 
those  of  the  north,  and  conquered  them.  When  the  battle 
was  over,  a  fox  was  seen  running  off  with  one  of  the  Beings 
of  the  north. 

These  gods  of  the  Dahcotahs  are  said  to  be  inferior  to 
the  Great  Spirit;  but  if  an  Indian  wants  to  perform  a 
deed  of  valor,  he  prays  to  Haokah  the  Giant.  When  they 
are  in  trouble,  or  in  fear  of  anything,  they  pray  to  the 
Great  Spirit.  You  frequently  see  a  pole  with  a  deer-skin, 
or  a  blanket  hung  to  it ;  these  are  offerings  made  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  to  propitiate  him.  White  Dog,  who  lives 
near  Fort  Snelling,  says  he  has  often  prayed  to  the  Great 
Spirit  to  keep  him  from  sin,  and  to  enable  him  and  his 
family  to  do  right.  When  he  wishes  to  make  an  offering 
to  the  Great  Spirit,  he  takes  a  scarlet  blanket,  and  paints 


WAH-ZEE-YAH. 


a  circle  of  blue  in  the  centre,  (blue  is  an  emblem  of  peace,) 
and  puts  ten  bells,  or  silver  brooches  to  it.  This  offering 
costs  him  $20.  Christians  are  too  apt  to  give  less  liberally 
to  the  true  God.  When  White  Dog  goes  to  war,  he  makes 
this  offering. 

White  Dog  says  he  never  saw  the  giant,  but  that  "  Iron 
Members,"  who  died  last  summer,  saw  one  of  the  giants 
several  years  ago. 

Iron  Members  was  going  hunting,  and  when  he  was 
near  Shah-co-pee's  village,  he  met  the  Giant.  He  wore  a 
three-cornered  hat,  and  one  side  was  bright  as  the  sun ;  so 
bright  one  could  not  look  upon  it ;  and  he  had  a  crooked 
thing  upon  his  shoulder. 

Iron  Members  was  on  a  hill ;  near  which  was  a  deep 
ravine,  when  suddenly  his  eye  rested  upon  something  so 
bright  that  it  pained  him  to  look  at  it.  He  looked  down 
the  ravine  and  there  stood  the  Giant.  Notwithstanding 
his  position,  his  head  reached  to  the  top  of  the  trees.  The 
Giant  was  going  northwards,  and  did  not  notice  the  Indian 
or  stop ;  he  says  he  watched  the  Giant ;  and,  as  he  went 
forward,  the  trees  and  bushes  seemed  to  make  way  for  him. 
The  visit  was  one  of  good  luck,  the  Indians  say,  for  there 
was  excellent  hunting  that  season. 

The  Dahcotahs  believe  firmly  the  story  of  Iron  Mem 
bers.  He  was  one  of  their  wisest  men.  He  was  a  great 
warrior  and  knew  how  to  kill  his  enemies.  White  Dog 
says  that  at  night,  when  they  were  on  a  war  party,  Iron 
Members  would  extinguish  all  the  fires  of  the  Dahcotahs, 
and  then  direct  his  men  where  to  find  the  Chippeways. 
He  would  take  a  spoonful  of  sugar,  and  the  same  quantity 
of  whiskey,  and  make  an  offering  to  the  spirits  of  their 


210.  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

enemies ;  he  would  sing  to  them,  and  charm  them  so  that 
they  would  come  up  so  close  to  him  that  he  would  knock 
them  on  the  head  with  his  rattle,  and  kill  them.  These 
spirits  approach  in  the  form  of  a  bear.  After  this  is  done, 
they  soon  find  their  enemies  and  conquer  them. 

The  Dahcotahs  think  their  medicine  possesses  super 
natural  powers;  they  burn  incense, — leaves  of  the  white 
cedar  tree, — in  order  to  destroy  the  supernatural  powers  of 
a  person  who  dislikes  them.  They  consider  the  burning 
of  incense  a  preventive  of  evil,  and  believe  it  wards  off 
danger  from  lightning.  They  say  that  the  cedar  tree  is 
wahkun  (spiritual)  and  on  that  account  they  burn  its 
leaves  to  ward  off  danger.  The  temple  of  Solomon  was 
built  of  cedar. 

Unktahe,  the  god  of  the  waters,  is  much  reverenced  by 
the  Dahcotahs.  Morgan's  bluff,  near  Fort  Snelling,  is 
called  "  God's  house"  by  the  Dahcotahs ;  they  say  it  is 
the  residence  of  Unktahe,  and  under  the  hill  is  a  sub 
terranean  passage,  through  which  they  say  the  water-god 
passes  when  he  enters  the  St.  Peter's.  He  is  said  to  be  as 
large  as  a  white  man's  house. 

Near  Lac  qui  parle  is  a  hill  called  "the  Giant's  house." 

On  one  occasion  the  Rev.  Mr. was  walking  with 

a  Dahcotah,  and  as  they  approached  this  hill  the  Dahcotah 
exclaimed,  "  Do  you  not  see  him,  there  he  is."  And 
although  no  one  else  saw  the  Giant,  he  persisted  in 
watching  him  for  a  few  moments  as  he  passed  over  the 
hill. 

Near  Lac  qui  parle,  is  living  an  old  Dahcotah  woman  of 
a  singular  appearance.  Her  face  is  very  black,  and  her 
hair  singed  and  faded-looking.  She  was  asked  by  a 


WAH-ZEE-YAH.  211 


stranger  to  account  for  her  singular  appearance.  "I 
dreamed  of  the  Giant,"  she  said;  "and  I  was  frightened 
when  I  woke ;  and  I  told  my  husband  that  I  would  give  a 
dance  to  the  Giant  to  propitiate  him ;  but  my  husband 
said  that  I  was  not  able  to  go  through  the  Giant's  dance  ; 
that  I  would  only  fail,  and  bring  disgrace  upon  him  and 
all  my  family.  The  Giant  was  very  angry  with  me,  and 
punished  me  by  burning  my  face  black,  and  my  hair  as 
you  see  it."  Her  husband  might  well  fear  that  she  would 
not  be  able  to  perform  this  dance. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  any  idea  of  the  number 
of  the  gods  of  the  Dahcotahs.  All  nature  is  animated 
with  them ;  every  mountain,  every  tree,  is  worshipped,  as 
among  the  Greeks  of  old,  and  again,  like  the  Egyptians, 
the  commonest  animals  are  the  objects  of  their  adoration. 

May  the  time  soon  come  when  they  will  acknowledge 
but  one  God,  the  Creator  of  the  Earth  and  Heaven,  the 
Sovereign  of  the  universe  ! 


STORMS  IN  LIFE  AND  NATURE; 

OR, 

UNKTAHE  AND  THE  THUNDER  BIRD. 


"  Ever,"  says  Checkered  Cloud,  "  will  Unktahe,  the  god 
of  the  waters,  and  Wahkeon,  (Thunder,)  do  battle  against 
each  other.  Sometimes  the  thunder  birds  are  conquerors 
— often  the  god  of  the  waters  chases  his  enemies  back  to 
the  distant  clouds." 

Many  times,  too,  will  the  daughters  of  the  nation  go 
into  the  pathless  prairies  to  weep ;  it  is  their  custom ;  and 
while  there  is  sickness,  and  want,  and  death,  so  long  will 
they  leave  the  haunts  of  men  to  weep  where  none  but  the 
Great  Spirit  may  witness  their  tears.  It  is -only,  they  be 
lieve,  in  the  City  of  spirits,  that  the  sorrows  of  Dahcotah 
women  will  cease — there,  will  their  tears  be  dried  forever. 

Many  winters  have  passed  away  since  Harpstenah  brought 
the  dead  body  of  her  husband  to  his  native  village  to  be 
buried;  my  authority  is  the  " medicine  woman,"  whose 
lodge,  for  many  years,  was  to  be  seen  on  the  banks  of  Lake 
Calhoun. 

This  village  is  now  deserted.  The  remains  of  a  few 
houses  are  to  be  seen,  and  the  broken  ground  in  which  were 
planted  the  poles  of  their  teepees.  Silence  reigns  where 


UNKTAHE   AND  THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  213 

the  merry  laugh  of  the  villagers  often  met  in  chorus.  The 

scene  of  the  feast  and  dance  is  now  covered  with  long 
grass,  but  "  desolation  saddens  all  its  green." 


CHAPTER    I. 

DARK  and  heavy  clouds  hung  over  the  village  of  "  Sleepy 
Eyes,"  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Sioux.  The  thunder  birds 
flapped  their  wings  angrily  as  they  flew  along,  and  where 
they  hovered  over  the  "  Father  of  many  waters,"  the  waves 
rose  up,  and  heaved  to  and  fro.  Unktahe  was  eager  to 
fight  against  his  ancient  enemies ;  for  as  the  storm  spirits 
shrieked  wildly,  the  waters  tossed  above  each  other  ;  the 
large  forest  trees  were  uptorn  from  their  roots,  and  fell 
over  into  the  turbid  waters,  where  they  lay  powerless  amid 
the  scene  of  strife ;  and  while  the  vivid  lightning  pierced 
the  darkness,  peal  after  peal  was  echoed  by  the  neighbor 
ing  hills. 

One  human  figure  was  seen  outside  the  many  teepees 
that  rose  side  by  side  in  the  village.  Sleepy  Eyes  alone 
dared  to  stand  and  gaze  upon  the  tempest  which  was  tri 
umphing  over  all  the  powers  of  nature.  As  the  lightning 
fell  upon  the  tall  form  of  the  chief,  he  turned  his  keen 
glance  from  the  swift-flying  clouds  to  the  waters,  where 
dwelt  the  god  whose  anger  he  had  ever  been  taught  to  fear. 
He  longed,  though  trembling,  to  see  the  countenance  of 
the  being  whose  appearance  is  the  sure  warning  of  calamity. 
His  superstitious  fears  told  him  to  turn,  lest  the  deity 


214  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

should  rise  before  him ;  while  his  native  courage,  and  love 
of  the  marvellous,  chained  him  to  the  spot. 

The  storm  raged  wilder  and  louder — the  driving  wind 
scattered  the  hail  around  him,  and  at  length  the  chief  raised 
the  door  of  his  teepee,  and  joined  his  frightened  household. 

Trembling  and  crouching  to  the  ground  were  the  mothers 
and  children,  as  the  teepee  shook  from  the  force  of  the  wind. 
The  young  children  hid  their  faces  close  against  their 
mothers'  breasts.  Every  head  was  covered,  to  avoid  the 
streaked  lightning  as  it  glanced  over  the  bent  and  terrified 
forms,  that  seemed  to  cling  to  the  earth  for  protection. 

At  the  end  of  the  village,  almost  on  the  edge  of  the  high 
bluff  that  towered  above  the  river,  rose  a  teepee,  smaller 
than  the  rest.  The  open  door  revealed  the  wasted  form  of 
Harpstenah,  an  aged  woman. 

Aged,  but  not  with  years  !  Evil  had  been  the  days  of 
her  pilgrimage. 

The  fire  that  had  burned  in  the  wigwam  was  all  gone 
out,  the  dead  ashes  lay  in  the  centre,  ever  and  anon  scat 
tered  by  the  wind  over  the  wretched  household  articles 
that  lay  around.  Gone  out,  too,  were  the  flames  that  once 
lighted  with  happiness  the  heart  of  Harpstenah. 

The  sorrows  of  earth,  more  pitiless  than  the  winds  of 
heaven,  had  scattered  forever  the  hopes  that  had  made  her 
a  being  of  light  and  life.  The  head  that  lies  on  the  earth 
was  once  pillowed  on  the  breast  of  the  lover  of  her  youth. 
The  arm  that  is  heavily  thrown  from  her  once  clasped  his 
children  to  her  heart. 

What  if  the  rain  pours  in  upon  her,  or  the  driving  wind 
and  hail  scatter  her  wild  locks  ?  She  feels  it  not.  Life  is 
there,  but  the  consciousness  of  life  is  gone  forever. 


UNKTAHE   AND    THE   THUNDER   BIRD.  215 

A  heavier  cloud  hangs  about  her  heart  than  that  which 
darkens  nature.  She  fears  not  the  thunder,  nor  sees  the 
angry  lightning.  She  has  laid  upon  the  scaffold  her  young 
est  son,  the  last  of  the  many  ties  that  bound  her  to  earth. 

One  week  before,  her  son  entered  the  wigwam.  He  was 
not  alone;  his  comrade,  "The  Hail  that  Strikes,"  accom 
panied  him. 

Harpstenah  had  been  tanning  deer-skin  near  her  door. 
She  had  planted  two  poles  firmly  in  the  ground,  and  on 
them  she  had  stretched  the  deer-skin.  With  an  iron  in 
strument  she  constantly  scraped  the  skin,  throwing  water 
upon  it.  She  had  smoked  it  too,  and  now  it  was  ready  to 
make  into  mocassins  or  leggins.  She  had  determined, 
while  she  was  tanning  the  deer-skin,  how  she  would  em 
broider  them.  They  should  be  richer  and  handsomer  even 
than  those  of  their  chief's  son ;  nay,  gayer  than  those  worn 
by  the  chief  himself.  She  had  beads  and  stained  porcupine 
quills  ;  all  were  ready  for  her  to  sew. 

The  venison  for  the  evening  meal  was  cooked  and  placed 
in  a  wooden  bowl  before  the  fire,  when  the  two  young  men 
entered. 

The  son  hardly  noticed  his  mother's  greeting,  as  he  in 
vited  his  friend  to  partake  of  the  venison.  After  eating,  he 
filled  his  pipe,  smoked,  and  offered  it  to  the  other.  They 
seemed  inclined  to  waste  but  little  time  in  talking,  for  the 
pipe  was  put  by,  and  they  were  about  to  leave  the  teepee, 
when  the  son's  steps  were  arrested  by  his  mother's  asking 
him  if  he  were  going  out  again  on  a  hunt.  "  There  is 
food  enough,"  she  added,  "  and  I  thought  you  would  re 
main  at  home  and  prepare  to  join  in  the  dance  of  the  sun, 


216  LEGENDS  OP  THE   SIOUX. 

which  will  be  celebrated  to-morrow.  You  promised  me  to 
do  so,  and  a  Dahcotah  values  his  word." 

The  young  man  hesitated,  for  he  loved  his  mother,  and 
he  knew  it  would  grieve  her  to  be  told  the  expedition  upon 
which  he  was  going. 

The  eyes  of  his  comrade  flashed  fire,  and  his  lip  curled 
scornfully,  as  he  turned  towards  the  son  of  Harpstenah. 
"  Are  you  afraid  to  tell  your  mother  the  truth,"  he  said, 
"  or  do  you  fear  the  '.long  knives'*  will  carry  you  a  pris 
oner  to  their  fort  ?  /  will  tell  you  where  we  are  going," 
he  added.  "  The  Dahcotahs  have  bought  us  whiskey,  and 
we  are  going  to  meet  them  and  help  bring  it  up.  And 
now  cry — you  are  a  woman — but  it  is  time  for  us  to  be 
gone." 

The  son  lingered — he  could  not  bear  to  see  his  mother's 
tears.  He  knew  the  sorrows  she  had  endured,  he  knew 
too  (for  she  had  often  assured  him)  that  should  harm  come 
to  him  she  would  not  survive  it.  The  knife  she  carried  in 
her  belt  was  ready  to  do  its  deadly  work.  She  implored 
him  to  stay,  calling  to  his  mind  the  deaths  of  his  father 
and  of  his  murdered  brothers ;  she  bade  him  remember  the 
tears  they  had  shed  together,  and  the  promises  he  had  often 
made,  never  to  add  to  the  trials  she  had  endured. 

It  was  all  in  vain ;  for  his  friend,  impatient  to  be  gone, 
laughed  at  him  for  listening  to  the  words  of  his  mother. 
"  Is  not  a  woman  a  dog  ?"  he  said.  "  Do  you  intend  to 
stay  all  night  to  hear  your  mother  talk?  If  so,  tell  me, 
that  I  may  seek  another  comrade — one  who  fears  neither  a 
white  man  nor  a  woman." 

*  Officers  and  soldiers  are  called  long  knives  among  the  Sioux,  from  their 
wearing  swords. 


UNKTAHE   AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD.         .          217 

This  appeal  had  its  effect,  for  the  young  men  left  the 
teepee  together.  They  were  soon  out  of  sight,  while  Harp- 
stenah  sat  weeping,  and  swaying  her  body  to  and  fro,  la 
menting  the  hour  she  was  born.  "  There  is  no  sorrow  in 
the  land  of  spirits,"  she  cried  ;  "  oh  !  that  I  were  dead  !" 

The  party  left  the  village  that  night  to  procure  the  whis 
key.  They  were  careful  to  keep  watch  for  the  Chippeways, 
so  easy  would  it  be  for  their  enemies  to  spring  up  from  be 
hind  a  tree,  or  to  be  concealed  among  the  bushes  and  long 
grass  that  skirted  the  open  prairie*.  Day  and  night  they 
were  on  their  guard ;  the  chirping  of  the  small  bird  by 
day,  as  well  as  the  hooting  of  an  owl  by  night — either 
might  be  the  feigned  voice  of  a  tomahawked  enemy.  And 
as  they  approached  St.  Anthony's  Falls,  they  had  still  an 
other  cause  for  caution.  Here  their  friends  were  to  meet 
them  with  the  fire  water.  Here,  too,  they  might  see  the 
soldiers  from  Fort  Snelling,  who  would  snatch  the  un- 
tasted  prize  from  their  lips,  and  carry  them  prisoners  to 
the  fort — a  disgrace  that  would  cling  to  them  forever. 

Concealed  under  a  rock,  they  found  the  kegs  of  liquor, 
and,  while  placing  them  in  their  canoes,  they  were  joined 
by  the  Indians  who  had  been  keeping  guard  over  it,  and  at 
the  same  time  watching  for  the  soldiers. 

In  a  few  hours  they  were  relieved  of  their  fears.  The 
flag  that  waved  from  the  tower  at  Fort  Snelling,  had  been 
long  out  of  sight.  They  kept  their  canoes  side  by  side, 
passing  away  the  time  in  conversation. 

The  women  who  were  paddling  felt  no  fatigue.  They 
knew  that  at  night  they  were  to  have  a  feast.  Already 
the  fires  of  the  maddening  drink  had  maflfe  the  blood  in 
their  dull  veins  course  quickly.  They  anticipated  the  ex- 

10 


218  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

citement  that  would  make  them  forget  they  had  ever  been 
cold  or  hungry ;  and  bring  to  them  bright  dreams  of  that 
world  where  sorrow  is  unknown. 

"  We  must  be  far  on  our  journey  to-night,"  said  the 
Rattler  ;  "  the  long  knives  are  ever  on  the  watch  for  Dah- 
cotahs  with  whiskey." 

"  The  laws  of  the  white  people  are  very  just,"  said  an 
old  man  of  the  party  ;  "  they  let  their  people  live  near  us 
and  sell  us  whiskey,  they  take  our  furs  from  us,  and  get 
much  money.  They  have  the  right  to  bring  their  liquor 
near  us,  and  sell  it,  but  if  we  buy  it  we  are  punished.  When 
I  was  young,"  he  added,  bitterly,  "the  Dahcotahs  were 
free  ;  they  went  and  came  as  they  chose.  There  were  no 
soldiers  sent  to  our  villages  to  frighten  our  women  and 
children,  and  to  take  our  young  men  prisoners.  The  Dah- 
cotahs  are  all  women  now — there  are  no  warriors  among 
them,  or  they  would  not  submit  to  the  power  of  the  long 
knives." 

"We  must  submit  to  them,"  said  the  Rattler;  "it 
would  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to  contend  with  them.  We 
have  learned  that  the  long  knives  can  work  in  the  night. 
A  few  nights  ago,  some  young  men  belonging  to  the  village 
of  Marpuah  Wechastah,  had  been  drinking.  They  knew 
that  the  Chippeway  interpreter  was  away,  and  that  his 
wife  was  alone.  They  went,  like  cowards  as  they  were, 
to  frighten  a  woman.  They  yelled  and  sung,  they  beat 
against  her  door,  shouting  and  laughing  when  they  found 
she  was  afraid  to  come  out.  When  they  returned  home  it 
was  just  day ;  they  drank  and  slept  till  night,  and  then 
they  assemble4?!,  four  young  men  in  one  teepee,  to  pass 
the  night  in  drinking. 


UNKTAHE    AND   THE   THUNDER    BIRD.  219 

"The  father  of  White  Deer  came  to  the  teepee.  '  My 
son,'  said  he,  ;  it  is  better  for  you  to  stop  drinking  and  go 
away.  You  have  an  uncle  among  the  Tetons,  go  and  visit 
him.  You  brought  the  fire  water  here,  you  frightened  the 
wife  of  the  Interpreter,  and  for  this  trouble  you  will  be 
punished.  Your  father  is  old,  save  him  the  disgrace  of 
seeing  his  son  a  prisoner  at  the  Fort/ 

" '  Fear  not,  my  father,'  said  the  young  man,  '  your  son 
will  never  be  a  prisoner.  I  wear  a  charm  over  my  heart, 
which  will  ever  make  me  free  as  the  wind.  The  white 
men  cannot  work  in  the  night ;  they  are  sleeping  even 
now.  We  will  have  a  merry  night,  and  when  the  sun  is 
high,  and  the  long  knives  come  to  seek  me,  you  may  laugh 
at  them,  and  tell  them  to  follow  me  to  the  country  of  the 
Tetons.'  The  father  left  the  teepee,  and  White  Deer 
struck  the  keg  with  his  tomahawk.  The  fire  water  dulled 
their  senses,  for  they  heard  not  their  enemies  until  they 
were  upon  them. 

"  It  was  in  the  dead  of  night — all  but  the  revellers  slept — 
when  the  soldiers  from  the  fort  surrounded  the  village. 

"  The  mother  of  White  Deer  heard  the  barking  of  her  dog. 
She  looked  out  of  the  door  of  her  teepee.  She  saw  nothing, 
for  it  was  dark' ;  but  she  knew  there  was  danger  near. 

"  Our  warriors,  roused  from  their  sleep,  determined  to  find 
out  the  cause  of  the  alarm  ;  they  were  thrust  back  into 
their  teepees  by  the  bayonets  of.  the  long  knives,  and  the 
voice  of  the  Interpreter  was  heard,  crying,  '  The  first  Dah- 
cotah  that  leaves  his  lodge  shall  be  shot.' 

"  The  soldiers  found  out  from  the  old  chief  the  teepee  of 
the  revellers.  The  young  men  did  not  hear  them  as  they 
approached  ;  they  were  drinking  and  shouting.  White 


220  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

Deer  had  raised  the  cup  to  his  lips,  when  the  soldier's  grasp 
was  upon  him.  It  was  too  late  for  him  to  fly. 

"  There  was  an  unopened  keg  of  liquor  in  the  teepee. 
The  soldiers  struck  it  to  pieces,  and  the  fire  water  covered 
the  ground. 

"  The  hands  of  White  Deer  were  bound  with  an  iron 
chain  ;  he  threw  from  him  his  clothes  and  his  blanket. 
He  was  a  prisoner,  and  needed  not  the  clothing  of  a  Dahco- 
tah,  born  free. 

"  The  grey  morning  dawned  as  they  entered  the  large 
door  of  the  fort.  His  old  father  soon  followed  him ;  he 
offered  to  stay,  himself,  as  a  prisoner,  if  his  young  son 
could  be  set  free. 

"It  is  in  vain,  then,  that  we  would  contend  with  the 
white  man  ;  they  keep  a  watch  over  all  our  actions.  They 
work  in  the  night" 

"The  long  knives  will  ever  triumph,  when  the  medicine 
men  of  our  nation  speak  as  you  do,"  said  Two  Stars.  "  I 
have  lived  near  them  always,  and  have  never  been  their 
prisoner.  I  have  suffered  from  cold  in  the  winter,  and  have 
never  asked  clothing,  and  from  hunger,  and  have  never 
asked  food.  My  wife  has  never  stood  at  the  gate  to  ask 
bread,  nor  have  my  daughters  adorned  themselves  to  attract 
the  eyes  of  their  young  men.  I  will  live  and  die  on  the 
land  of  my  forefathers,  without  asking  a  favor  of  an  ene 
my.  They  call  themselves  the  friends  of  the  Dahcotahs. 
They  are  our  friends  when  they  want  our  lands  or  our  furs. 

'k  They  are  our  worst  enemies ;  they  have  trampled  us 
under  foot.  We  do  not  chase  the  deer  on  the  prairies  as 
eagerly  as  they  have  hunted  us  down.  They  steal  from  us 
our  rights,  and  then  gain  us  over  by  fair  words.  I  hate 


UNKTAHE  AND  THE   THUNDER  BIRD. 


them  ;  and  had  not  our  warriors  turned  women,  and  learned 
to  fear  them,  I  would  gladly  climb  their  walls,  and  shout 
the  war  cry  in  their  ears.  The  Great  Spirit  has  indeed 
forsaken  his  children,  when  their  warriors  and  wise  men 
talk  of  submission  to  their  foes." 


CHAPTER    II. 

WELL  might  Harpstenah  sit  in  her  lodge  and  weep. 
The  sorrows  of  her  life  passed  in  review  before  her.  Yet 
she  was  once  the  belle  of  an  Indian  village;  no  step  so 
light,  no  laugh  so  merry  as  hers.  She  possessed  too,  a 
spirit  and  a  firmness  not  often  found  among  women. 

She  was  by  birth  the  third  daughter,  who  is  always 
called  Harpstenah  among  the  Sioux.  Her  sisters  were 
married,  and  she  had  seen  but  fourteen  summers  when 
old  Cloudy  Sky,  the  medicine  man,  came  to  her  parents  to 
buy  her  for  his  wife. 

They  dared  not  refuse  him,  for  they  were  afraid 
to  offend  a  medicine  man,  and  a  war  chief  besides. 
Cloudy  Sky  was  willing  to  pay  them  well  for  their  child. 
So  she  was  told  that  her  fate  for  life  was  determined  upon. 
Her  promised  bridegroom  had  seen  the  snows  of  eighty 
winters. 

It  was  a  bright  night  in  the  "  moon  for  strawberries."* 
Harpstenah  had  wept  herself  to  sleep,  and  she  had  reason 
too,  for  her  young  companions  had  laughed  at  her,  and  told 

*  The  month  of  June. 


222  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

her  that  she  was  to  have  for  a  husband  an  old  man  with 
out  a  nose.  And  it  was  true,  though  Cloudy  Sky  could 
once  have  boasted  of  a  fine  aquiline.  He  had  been  drink 
ing  freely,  and  picked  a  quarrel  with  one  of  his  sworn 
friends.  After  some  preliminary  blows,  Cloudy  Sky  seized 
his  antagonist  and  cut  his  ear  sadly,  but  in  return  he  had 
his  nose  bitten  off. 

She  had  wept  the  more  when  her  mother  told  her  that  in 
four  days  she  was  to  go  to  the  teepee  of  her  husband.  It 
was  in  vain  to  contend.  She  lay  down  beside  the  fire  ; 
deep  sleep  came  upon  her ;  she  forgot  the  events  of  the 
past  day  ;  for  a  time  she  ceased  to  think  of  the  young 
man  she  loved,  and  the  old  one  she  hated.  In  her  dreams 
she  had  travelled  a  long  journey,  and  was  seated  on  the 
river  shore,  to  rest  her  tired  limbs.  The  red  light  of  the 
dying  sun  illumined  the  prairies,  she  could  not  have 
endured  its  scorching  rays,  were  it  not  for  the  sheltering 
branches  of  the  tree  under  which  she  had  found  a  resting- 
place. 

The  waters  of  the  river  beat  against  her  feet.  She 
would  fain  move,  but  something  chained  her  to  the  spot. 
She  tried  to  call  her  mother,  but  her  lips  were  sealed,  and 
her  voice  powerless.  She  would  have  turned  her  face  from 
the  waters,  but  even  this  was  impossible.  Stronger  and 
stronger  beat  the  waves,  and  then  parted,  revealing  the 
dreaded  form  of  the  fairy  of  the  waters. 

Harpstenah  looked  upon  death  as  inevitable ;  she  had 
ever  feared  that  terrible  race  of  beings  whose  home  was  in 
the  waters.  And  now  the  fairy  stood  before  her ! 

"  Why  do  you  tremble  maiden  ?  Only  the  wicked  need 
fear  the  anger  of  the  gods  You  have  never  offended  us, 


UNKTAHE   AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD.  223 

nor  the  spirits  of  the  dead.  You  have  danced  in  the  scalp- 
dance,  and  have  reverenced  the  customs  of  the  Sioux. 
You  have  shed  many  tears.  You  love  Red  Deer,  and 
your  father  has  sold  you  to  Cloudy  Sky,  the  medicine 
man.  It  is  with  you  to  marry  the  man  you  love,  or  the 
one  you  hate." 

"  If  you  know  everything,"  sighed  the  girl,  "  then  you 
must  know  that  in  four  days  I  am  to  take  my  seat  beside 
Cloudy  Sky  in  his  wigwam.  He  has  twice  brought  calico 
and  cloth,  and  laid  them  at  the  door  of  my  father's 
teepee." 

"  You  shall  not  marry  Cloudy  Sky,  if  you  have  a  strong 
heart,  and  fear  nothing,"  replied  the  fairy.  The  spirits  of 
the  water  ^have  determined  on  the  death  of  Cloudy  Sky. 
He  has  already  lived  three  times  on  earth.  For  many 
years  he  wandered  through  the  air  with  the  sons  of  the 
thunder  bird ;  like  them  he  was  ever  fighting  against  the 
friends  of  Unktahe. 

"With  his  own  hand  he  killed  the  son  of  that  god,  and 
for  that  was  he  sent  to  earth  to  be  a  medicine  man.  But 
long  ago  we  have  said  that  the  time  should  come,  when 
we  would  destroy  him  from  the  earth.  It  is  for  you  to 
take  his  life  when  he  sleeps.  Can  a  Dahcotoh  woman 
want  courage  when  she  is  to  be  forced  to  marry  a  man  she 
hates?" 

The  waters  closed  over  the  fairy  as  he  disappeared,  and 
the  waves  beat  harder  against  Harpstenah's  feet.  She 
awoke  with  the  words  echoing  in  her  heart,  "  Can  a  Sioux 
woman  want  courage  when  she  is  to  be  forced  to  marry  a 
man  she  hates?"  "  The  words  of  the  fairy  were  wise  and 
true,"  thought  the  maiden.  "  Our  medicine  men  say  that 


224  LEGENDS    OF   THE    SIOUX. 

the  fairies  of  the  water  are  all  wicked ;  that  they  are  ever 
seeking  to  do  harm  to  the  Dahcotahs.  My  dream  has 
made  my  heart  light.  I  will  take  the  life  of  the  war  chief. 
At  the  worst  they  can  but  take  mine." 

As  she  looked  round  the  teepee,  her  eye  rested  upon  the 
faces  of  her  parents.  The  bright  moonlight  had  found  its 
way  into  the  teepee.  There  lay  her  father,  his  haughty 
countenance  calm  and  subdued,  for  the  "  image  of  death" 
had  chased  away  the  impression  left  on  his  features  of  a 
fierce  struggle  with  a  hard  life.  How  often  had  he  warned 
her  of  the  danger  of  offending  Cloudy  Sky,  that  sickness, 
famine,  death  itself,  might  be  the  result.  Her  mother  too, 
had  wearied  her  with  warnings.  But  she  remembered  h»r 
dream,  and  with  all  a  Sioux  woman's  faith  in  revelations, 
she  determined  to  let  it  influence  her  course. 

Red  Deer  had  often  vowed  to  take  the  life  of  his  rival, 
though  he  knew  it  would  have  assuredly  cost  him  his 
own.  The  family  of  Cloudy  Sky  was  a  large  one ;  there 
were  many  who  would  esteem  it  a  sacred  duty  to  avenge 
his  death.  Besides  he  would  gain  nothing  by  it,  for  the 
parents  of  Harpstenah  would  never  consent  to  her  marriage 
with  the  murderer  of  the  war  chief. 

How  often  had  Red  Deer  tried  to  induce  the  young  girl 
to  leave  the  village,  and  return  with  him  as  his  wife.  "  Have 
we  not  always  loved  each  other,"  he  said.  "  When  we  were 
children,  you  made  me  mocassins,  and  paddled  the  canoe 
for  me,  and  I  brought  the  wild  duck,  which  I  shot  while  it 
was  flying,  to  you.  You  promised  me  to  be  my  wife,  when 
I  should  be  a  great  hunter,  and  had  brought  to  you  the 
scalp  of  an  enemy.  I  have  kept  my  promise,  but  you  have 
broken  yours." 


UNKTAHE   AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD.  225 

"  I  know  it,"  she  replied  ;  "  but  I  fear  to  keep  my  word. 
They  would  kill  you,  and  the  spirits  of  my  dead  brothers 
would  haunt  me  for  disobeying  my  parents.  Cloudy  Sky 
says  that  if  I  do  not  marry  him  he  will  cast  a  spell  upon 
me ;  he  says  that  the  brightness  would  leave  my  eye,  and 
the  color  my  cheek  ;  that  my  step  should  be  slow  and  weary, 
and  soon  would  I  be  laid  in  the  earth  beside  my  brothers. 
The  spirit  that  should  watch  beside  my  body  would  be  of 
fended  for  my  sin  in  disobeying  the  counsel  of  the  aged.  You, 
too,  should  die,  he  says,  not  by  the  tomahawk,  as  a  warrior 
should  die,  but  by  a  lingering  disease — fever  should  enter 
your  veins,  your  strength  would  soon  be  gone,  you  would 
no  longer  be  able  to  defend  yourself  from  your  enemies. 
Let  me  die,  rather  than  bring  such  trouble  upon  you." 

Red  Deer  could  not  reply,  for  he  believed  that  Cloudy 
Sky  could  do  all  that  he  threatened.  Nerved,  then,  by  her 
devotion  to  her  lover,  her  hatred  of  Cloudy  Sky,  and  her 
faith  in  her  dream,  Harpstenah  determined  her  heart  should 
not  fail  her ;  she  would  obey  the  mandate  of  the  water 
god ;  she  would  bury  her  knife  in  the  hear£  of  the  medi 
cine  man. 


CHAPTER    III. 

IN  their  hours  for  eating,  the  Sioux  accommodate  them 
selves  to  circumstances.  If  food  be  plenty,  they  eat  three 
or  four  times  a  day  ;  if  scarce,  they  eat  but  once.  Some 
times  they  go  without  food  for  several  days,  and  often  they 

10* 


226  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

are  obliged  to  live  for  weeks  on  the  bark  of  trees,  skins,  or 
anything  that  will  save  them  from  dying  of  famine. 

When  game  and  corn  are  plenty,  the  kettle  is  always 
boiling,  and  they  are  invariably  hospitable  and  generous, 
always  offering  to  a  visitor  such  as  they  have  it  in  their 
power  to  give. 

The  stars  were  still  keeping  watch,  when  Harpstenah 
was  called  by  her  mother  to  assist  her.  The  father's  morn 
ing  meal  was  prepared  early,  for  he  was  going  out  to  hunt. 
Wild  duck,  pigeons,  and  snipe,  could  be  had  in  abundance ; 
the  timid  grouse,  too,  could  be  roused  up  on  the  prairies. 
Larger  game  was  there,  too,  for  the  deer  flew  swiftly  past, 
and  had  even  stopped  to  drink  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the 
"  Spirit  Lake." 

When  they  assembled  to  eat,  the  old  man  lifted  up  his 
hands — "  May  the  Great  Spirit  have  mercy  upon  us,  and 
give  me  good  luck  in  hunting." 

Meat  and  boiled  corn  were  eaten  from  wooden  bowls, 
and  the  father  went  his  way,  leaving  his  wife  and  daughter 
to  attend  to  their  domestic  cares. 

Harpstenah  was  cutting  wood  near  the  lodge,  when 
Cloudy  Sky  presented  himself.  He  went  into  the  teepee 
and  lighted  his  pipe,  and  then,  seating  himself  ^outside, 
began  to  smoke.  He  was,  in  truth,  a  sorry  figure  for  a 
bridegroom.  Always  repulsive  in  his  looks,  his  present 
dress  was  not  calculated  to  improve  him.  He  wore  mourn 
ing  for  his  enemy,  whom  he  had  killed. 

His  face  was  painted  perfectly  black  ;  nothing  but  the 
whites  of  his  eyes  relieved  tKe  uniyersal  darkness.  His 
blanket  was  torn  and  old — his  hair  unbraided,  and  on  the 
top  of  his  head  he  wore  a  knot  of  swan's  down. 


UNKTAHE  AND   THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  227 

Every  mark  of  grief  or  respect  he  could  have  shown  a 
dead  brother,  he  now  assumed  in  honor  of  the  man  whom 
he  had  hated — whose  life  he  had  destroyed — who  had  be 
longed  to  the  hateful  tribe  which  had  ever  been  the  enemy 
of  his  nation. 

He  looked  very  important  as  he  puffed  away,  now  watch 
ing  Harpstenah,  who  appeared  to  be  unconscious  of  his 
presence,  now  fixing  his  eyes  on  her  mother,  who  was  busily 
employed  mending  mocassins. 

Having  finished  smoking ;  he  used  a  fan  which  was 
attached  to  the  other  end  of  his  pipe-stem.  It  was  a  very 
warm  day,  and  the  perspiration  that  was  bursting  from  his 
forehead  mingled  with  the  black  paint  and  slowly  found 
its  way  down  his  face. 

"  Where  is  your  husband?"  at  length  he  asked  of  the 
mother. 

"  He  saw  a  deer  fly  past  this  morning,"  she  replied,  "and 
he  has  gone  to  seek  it,  that  I  may  dry  it." 

"  Does  he  come  back  to-night  ?" 

"  He  does  ;  he  said  you  were  to  give  a  medicine  feast 
to-morrow,  and  that  he  would  be  here. 

Harpstenah  knew  well  why  the  medicine  feast  was  to  be 
given.  Cloudy  Sky  could  not,  according  to  the  laws  of  the 
Sioux,  throw  off  his  mourning,  until  he  had  killed  an  enemy 
or  given  a  medicine  dance.  She  knew  that  he  wanted  to 
wear  a  new  blanket,  and  plait  his  hair,  and  paint  his  face  a 
more  becoming  color.  But  she  knew  his  looks  could  not  be 
improved,  and  she  went  on  cutting  wood,  as  unconcernedly 
as  if  the  old  war  chief  were  her  grandfather,  instead  of  her 
affianced  husband.  He  might  gain  the  good  will  of  her 
parents,  he  might  even  propitiate  the  spirits  of  the  dead : 


LEGENDS  OP  THE   SIOUX. 


She  would  take  his  life,  surely  as  the  senseless  wood  yielded 
to  the  strength  of  the  arm  that  was  cleaving  it. 

"  You  will  be  at  the  feast  too,"  said  Cloudy  Sky  to  the 
mother  ;  "  you  have  always  foretold  truly.  There  is  not  a 
woman  in  the  band  who  can  tell  what  is  going  to  happen 
as  well  as  you.  There  is  no  nation  so  great  as  the  Dah- 
cotah,"  continued  the  medicine  man,  as  he  saw  several 
idlers  approach,  and  stretch  themselves  on  the  grass  to  listen 
to  him.  "  There  is  no  nation  so  great  as  the  Dahcotah — 
but  our  people  are  not  so  great  now  as  they  were  formerly. 
When  our  forefathers  killed  buffaloes  on  these  prairies,  that 
the  white  people  now  ride  across  as  if  they  were  their  own, 
mighty  giants  lived  among  them;  they  strode  over  the 
widest  rivers,  and  the  tallest  trees ;  they  could  lay  their 
hands  upon  the  highest  hills,  as  they  walked  the  earth. 
But  they  were  not  men  of  war.  They  did  not  fight  great 
battles,  as  do  the  Thunder  Bird  and  his  warriors. 

There  were  large  animals,  too,  in  those  days ;  so  large 
that  the  stoutest  of  our  warriors  were  but  as  children  beside 
them.  Their  bones  have  been  preserved  through  many 
generations.  They  are  sacred  to  us,  and  we  keep  them 
because  they  will  cure  us  when  we  are  sick,  and  will  save 
us  from  danger. 

I  have  lived  three  times  on  earth.  When  my  body  was 
first  laid  upon  the  scaffold,  my  spirit  wandered  through  the 
air.  I  followed  the  Thunder  Birds  as  they  darted  among 
the  clouds.  When  the  heavens  were  black,  and  the  rain 
fell  in  big  drops,  and  the  streaked  lightning  frightened  our 
women  and  children,  I  was  a  warrior,  fighting  beside  the 
sons  of  the  Thunder  Bird. 

Unktahe  rose  up  before  us ;    sixty  of  his  friends  were 


UNKTAHE    AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD.  239 

with  him :  the  waters  heaved  and  pitched,  as  the  spirits 
left  them  to  seek  vengeance  against  the  Thunder  Birds. 
They  showed  us  their  terrible  horns,  but  they  tried  to 
frighten  us  in  vain.  We  were  but  forty  ;  we  flew  towards 
them,  holding  our  shields  before  our  breasts  ;  the  wind  tore 
up  the  trees,  and  threw  down  the  teepees,  as  we  passed 
along. 

All  day  we  fought ;  when  we  were  tired  we  rested 
awhile,  and  then  the  winds  were  still,  and  the  sun  showed 
himself  from  behind  the  dark  clouds.  But  soon  our  anger 
rose.  The  winds  flew  along  swifter  than  the  eagle,  as  the 
Thunder  Birds  clapped  their  wings,  and  again  we  fought 
against  our  foes. 

The  son  of  Unktahe  came  towards  me ;  his  eyes  shone 
like  fire,  but  I  was  not  afraid.  I  remembered  I  had  been 
a  Sioux  warrior.  He  held  his  shield  before  him,  as  he 
tried  to  strike  me  with  his  spear.  I  turned  his  shield  aside, 
and  struck  him  to  the  heart. 

He  fell,  and  the  waters  whirled  round  as  they  received 
his  body.  The  sons  of  Unktahe  shouted  fearful  cries  of 
rage,  but  our  yells  of  triumph  drowned  them. 

T.he  water  spirits  shrank  to  their  home,  while  we 
returned  to  the  clouds.  The  large  rain  drops  fell  slowly, 
and  the  bow  of  bright  colors  rested  between  the  heavens 
and  the  earth.  The  strife  was  over,  and  we  were  conquer 
ors.  I  know  that  Unktahe  hates  me — that  he  would  kill 
me  if  he  could — but  the  Thunder  bird  has  greater  power 
than  he;  the  friend  of  the  'Man  of  the  West'*  is  safe 
from  harm." 

Harpstenah  had  ceased  her  work,  and  was  listening  to 
*  Thunder  is  sometimes  called  the  Man  of  the  West. 


230  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

the  boaster.  "  It  was  all  true,"  she  said  to  herself;  "the 
fairy  of  the  water  told  me  that  he  had  offended  her  race. 
I  will  do  their  bidding.  Cloudy  Sky  may  boast  of  his 
power,  but  ere  two  nights  have  passed  away,  he  will  find 
he  cannot  despise  the  anger  of  the  water  spirits,  nor  'the 
courage  of  a  Dahcotah  woman." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  approach  of  night  brought  with  it  but  little  inclina 
tion  to  sleep  to  the  excited  girl.  Her  father  slept,  tired 
with  the  day's  hunt ;  and  her.  mother  dreamed  of  seeing 
her  daughter  the  wife  of  a  war  chief  and  a  medicine  man. 

The  village  was  built  on  the  shores  of  the  lake  now 
known  as  Lake  Calhoun.  By  the  light  of  the  rnoon  the 
teepees  were  reflected  in  its  waters.  It  was  bright  as  day. ; 
so  clear  was  the  lake,  that  the  agates  near  the  shore  spar 
kled  in  its  waters.  The  cry  of  the  whippoorwill  alone  dis 
turbed  the  repose  of  nature,  except  when  the  wild  scream 
of  the  loon  was  heard  as  she  gracefully  swept  the  waters. 

Seated  on  the  shore,  Harpstenah  waited  to  hear  the  low 
whistle  of  her  lover.  The  villagers  were  almost  all  asleep, 
now  and  then  the  laugh  of  some  rioters  was  heard  breaking 
in  upon  the  stillness  of  night.  She  had  not  seen  her  lover 
for  many  days ;  from  the  time  that  her  marriage  was  de 
termined  upon,  the  young  warrior  had  kept  aloof  from  her. 
She  had  seized  her  opportunity  to  tell  him  that  he  must 
meet  her  where  they  had  often  met,  where  none  should 


UNKTAHE   AND  THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  231 

know  of  their  meeting.  She  told  him  to  come  when  the 
moon  rose,  as  her  father  would  be  tired,  and  her  mother 
wished  to  sleep  well  before  the  medicine  feast. 

Many  fears  oppressed  her  heart,  for  he  had  not  answered 
her  when  she  spoke  to  him,  and  he  might  not  intend  to 
come.  Long  she  waited  in  vain,  and  she  now  arose  to  re 
turn  to  the  teepee,  when  the  low  signal  met  her  ear. 

She  did  not  wait  to  hear  it  a  second  time,  but  made  her 
way  along  the  shore :  now  her  steps  were  printed  in  the 
wet  sand,  now  planted  on  the  rocks  near  the  shore  ;  not  a 
sound  followed  her  movements  until  she  stood  on  the  ap 
pointed  place.  The  bright  moonlight  fell  upon  her  features, 
and  her  rich  dress,  as  she  waited  with  folded  arms  for  her 
lover  to  address  her.  Her  okendokenda  of  bright  colors 
was  slightly  open  at  the  neck,  and  revealed  brooches  of 
brass  and  silver  that  covered  her  bosom  ;  a.  heavy  necklace 
of  crimson  beads  hung  around  her  throat ;  bracelets  of 
brass  clasped  her  wrists,  and  her  long  plaited  hair  was  orna 
mented  at  the  end  of  the  braids  with  trinkets  of  silver. 

Her  cloth  petticoat  was  richly  decorated  with  ribbons, 
and  her  leggins  and  mocassins  proved  that  she  had  spent 
much  time  and  labor  on  the  adorning  of  a  person  naturally 
well  formed,  and  graceful. 

"Why  have  you  wished  to  meet  me,  Harpstenah?"  said 
the  young  man,  gloomily.  "  Have  you  come,  to  tell  rne  of 
the  presents  Cloudy  Sky  has  made  you,  or  do  you  wish  to 
say  that  you  are  ashamed  to  break  the  promise  you  made 
me  to  be  my  wife  ?" 

"  I  have  come  to  say  again  that  I  will  be  your  wife," 
she  replied :  "  and  for  the  presents  Cloudy  Sky  left  for  me, 


232  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

I  have  trampled  them  under  my  feet.  See,  I  wear  near 
my  heart  the  brooches  you  have  given  me." 

"  Women  are  ever  dogs  and  liars,"  said  Red  Deer,  "  but 
why  do  you  speak  such  words  to  me,  when  you  know  you 
have  agreed  to  marry  Cloudy  Sky  ?  Your  cousin  told  me 
your  father  had  chosen  him  to  carry  you  into  the  teepee  of 
the  old  man.  Your  father  beat  you,  and  you  agreed  to 
marry  him.  You  are  a  coward  to  mind  a  little  pain.  Go, 
marry  the  old  medicine  man ;  he  will  beat  you  as  he  has 
his  other  wives ;  he  may  strike  you  with  his  tomahawk 
and  kill  you,  as  he  did  his  first  wife ;  or  he  will  sell  you  to 
the  traders,  as  he  did  the  other  ;  he  will  tell  you  to  steal 
pork  and  whiskey  for  him,  and  then  when  it  is  found  out, 
he  will  take  you  and  say  you  are  a  thief,  and  that  he  has 
beaten  you  for  it.  Go,  the  young  should  ever  mate  with 
the  young,  but  you  will  soon  lie  on  the  scaffold,  and  by  his 
hand  too." 

"  The  proud  eagle  seeks  to  frighten  the  timid  bird  that 
follows  it,"  said  the  maiden ;  "  but  Red  Deer  should  not 
speak  such  angry  words  to  the  woman  that  will  venture 
her  life  for  him.  Cloudy  Sky  boasts  that  he  is  the  friend 
of  the  thunder  bird ;  in  my  dreams,  I  have  seen  the  fairy 
of  the  waters,  and  he  told  me  that  Cloudy  Sky  should  die 
by  my  hand.  My  words  are  true.  Cloudy  Sky  was  once 
with  the  sons  of  the  thunder  birds  when  they  fought  against 
Unktahe.  He  killed  a  son  of  the  water  god,  and  the  spirits 
of  the  water  have  determined  on  his  death. 

"  Red  Deer,  my  heart  is  strong.  I  do  not  fear  the  medi 
cine  man,  for  the  power  of  Unktahe  is  greater  than  his. 
But  you  must  go  far  away  and  visit  the  Tetons ;  if  you 
are  here,  they  will  accuse  you  of  his  death,  and  will  kill 


UNKTAHE  AND  THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  233 

you.  But  as  I  have  promised  to  marry  him,  no  one  will 
think  that  I  have  murdered  him.  It  will  be  long  ere  I  see 
you  again,  but  in  the  moon  that  we  gather  wild  rice,*  re 
turn,  and  I  will  be  your  wife.  Go,  now,"  she  added,  "say 
to  your  mother  that  you  are  going  to  visit  your  friends, 
and  before  the  day  comes  be  far  away.  To-morrow  Cloudy 
Sky  gives  a  medicine  feast,  and  to-morrow  night  Haokah 
will  make  my  heart  strong,  and  I  will  kill  the  medicine 
man.  His  soul  will  travel  a  long  journey  to  the  land  of 
spirits.  There  let  him  drink,  and  boast,  and  frighten  wo 
men." 

Red  Deer  heard  her,  mute  with  astonishment.  The 
color  mantled  in  her  cheek,  and  her  determined  coun 
tenance  assured  him  that  she  was  in  earnest.  He  charged 
her  to  remember  the  secret  spells  of  the  medicine  man.  If 
she  loved  him  it  was  far  better  to  go  with  him  now; 
they  would  soon  be  out  of  the  reach  of  her  family. 
To  this  she  would  not  listen,  and  repeating  to  him  her 
intention  of  executing  all  she  had  told  him  of,  she  left 
him. 

He  watched  her  as  she  returned  to  her  teepee  ;  some 
times  her  form  was  lost  in  the  thick  bushes,  he  could  see 
her  again  as  she  made  her  way  along  the  pebbled  shore, 
and  when  she  had  entered  her  teepee  he  returned  home. 

He  collected  his  implements  of  war  and  hunting;  and, 
telling  his  mother  he  was  going  on  a  long  journey,  he  left 
the  village. 

*  September. 


234  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE  feast  given  in  honor  of  their  medicine  was  cele 
brated  the  next  day,  and  Cloudy  Sky  was  thus  relieved 
of  the  necessity  of  wearing  mourning  for  his  enemy. 

His  face  was  carefully  washed  of  the  black  paint  that 
disfigured  it ;  his  hair,  plentifully  greased,  was  braided  and 
ornamented.  His  leggins  were  new,  and  his  white  blanket 
was  marked  according  to  Indian  custom.  On  it  was 
painted  a  black  hand,  that  all  might  know  that  he  had 
killed  his  enemy.  But  for  all  he  did  not  look  either  young 
or  handsome,  and  Harpstenah's  young  friends  were  aston 
ished  that  she  witnessed  the  preparations  for  her  marriage 
with  so  much  indifference. 

But  she  was  unconscious  alike  of  their  sympathy  and 
ridicule;  her  soul  was  occupied  with  the  reflection  that 
upon  her  energy  depended  her  future  fate.  Never  did  her 
spirit  shrink  from  its  appointed  task.  Nor  was  she  entirely 
governed  by  selfish  motives ;  she  believed  herself  an  instru 
ment  in  the  hand  of  the  gods. 

Mechanically  she  performed  her  ordinary  duties.  The 
wood  was  cut  and  the  evening  meal  was  cooked;  after 
wards  she  cut  down  branches  of  trees,  and  swept  the  wig 
wam.  In  the  evening,  the  villagers  had  assembled  on  the 
shores  of  the  lake  to  enjoy  the  cool  air  after  the  heat  of  the 
day. 

Hours  passed   away  as  gossipping  and  amusement  en- 


UNKTAHE  AND   THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  235 

gaged  them  all.  At  length  they  entered  their  teepees  to 
seek  rest,  and  Harpstenah  and  her  mother  were  the  last  at 
the  door  of  their  teepee,  where  a  group  had  been  seated 
on  the  ground,  discussing  their  own  and  others'  affairs. 
"  No  harm  can  come  to  you-,  my  daughter,  when  you  are 
the  wife  of  so  great  a  medicine  man.  If  any  one  hate  you 
and  wish  to  do  you  an  injury,  Cloudy  Sky  will  destroy 
their  power.  Has  he  not  lived  with  the  Thunder  Birds, 
did  he  not  learn  from  them  to  cure  the  sick,  and  to  destroy 
his  enemies  ?  He  is  a  great  warrior  too.  " 

"I  know  it,  my  mother,"  replied  the  girl,  "but  we  have 
sat  long  in  the  moonlight,  the  wind  that  stirred  the  waters 
of  the  spirit  lake  is  gone.  I  must  sleep,  that  I  may  be 
ready  to  dress  myself  when  you  call  me.  My  hair  must 
be  braided  in  many  braids,  and  the  strings  are  not  yet 
sewed  to  my  mocassins.  You  too  are  tired ;  let  us  go  in 
and  sleep." 

Sleep  came  to  the  mother — to  the  daughter  courage 
and  energy.  Not  in  vain  had  she  prayed  to  Haokah  the 
Giant,  to  give  her  power  to  perform  a  great  deed.  Assured 
that  her  parents  were  sleeping  heavily,  she  rose  and  sought 
the  lodge  of  the  medicine  man. 

When  she  reached  the  teepee,  she  stopped  involuntarily 
before  the  door,  near  which  hung,  on  a  pole,  the  medicine 
bag  of  the  old  man.  The  medicine  known  only  to  the 
clan  had  been  preserved  for  ages.  Sacred  had  it  ever  been 
from  the  touch  of  woman.  It  was  placed  there  to  guard 
the  medicine  man  from  evil,  and  to  bring  punishment  on 
those  who  sought  to  do  him  harm.  Harpstenah's  strength 
failed  her.  What  was  she  about  to  do  ? 

Could  she  provoke  with  impunity  the  anger  of  the  spirits 


236  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

of  the  dead  ?  Would  not  the  Great  Spirit  bring  terrible 
vengeance  upon  her  head.  Ready  to  sink  to  the  earth 
with  terror,  the  words  of  the  fairy  of  the  waters  reassured 
her.  "  Can  a  Dahcotah  woman  want  courage  when  she  is 
to  be  forced  to  marry  a  man  she  hates?" 

The  tumult  within  is  stilled — the  strong  beating  of 
her  heart  has  ceased — her  hand  is  upon  the  handle  of  her 
knife,  as  the  moonlight  falls  upon  its  glittering  blade. 

Too  glorious  a  night  for  so  dark  a  deed !  See  !  they  are 
confronted,  the  old  man  and  the  maiden  !  The  tyrant  and 
his  victim ;  the  slave  dealer  and  the  noble  soul  he  had 
trafficked  for ! 

Pale,  but  firm  with  high  resolve,  the  girl  looked  for  one 
moment  at  the  man  she  had  feared — whose  looks  had 
checked  her  childish  mirth,  whose  anger  she  had  been 
taught  to  dread,  even  to  the  sacrificing  of  her  heart's  best 
hopes. 

Restlessly  the  old  man  slept ;  perchance  he  saw  the 
piercing  eyes  that  were  fixed  upon  him,  for  he  muttered  of 
the  road  to  the  land  of  spirits.  Listen  to  him,  as  he  boasts 
of  the  warrior's  work. 

"  Many  brave  men  have  made  this  road.  The  friend  of 
the  Thunder  Birds  was  worthy.  Strike  the  woman  who 
would  dare  assist  a  warrior.  Strike — " 

"  Deep  in  his  heart  she  plunged  the  ready  steel,"  and  as 
she  drew  it  out,  the  life  blood  came  quickly.  She  alone 
heard  his  dying  groan. 

She  left  the  teepee — her  work  was  done.  It  was  easy  to 
wash  the  stains  on  her  knife  in  the  waters  of  the  lake. 

When  her  mother  arose,  she  looked  at  the  pale  counte 
nance  of  her  daughter.  In  vain  she  sought  to  understand 


UNKTAHE  AND  THE  THUNDER  BIRD.  237 

her  muttered  words.  Harpstenah,  as  she  tried  to  sleep, 
fancied  she  heard  the  wild  laugh  of  the  water  spirits. 
Clouds  had  obscured  the  moon,  and  distant  thunder  rolled 
along  the  sky ;  and,  roused  by  the  clamorous  grief  of  the 
many  women  assembled  in  the  lodge,  she  heard  from 
them  of  the  dark  tragedy  in  which  she  had  been  the  prin 
cipal  actor. 

The  murderer  was  not  to  be  found.  Red  Deer  was 
known  to  be  far  away.  It  only  remained  to  bury  Cloudy 
Sky,  with  all  the  honors  due  to  a  medicine  man. 

Harpstenah  joined  in  the  weeping  of  the  mourners — the 
fountains  of  a  Sioux  woman's  tears  are  easily  unlocked. 
She  threw  her  blanket  upon  the  dead  body. 

Many  were  the  rich  presents  made  to  the  inanimate  clay 
which  yesterday  influenced  those  who  still  trembled  lest 
the  spirit  of  the  dead  war-chief  would  haunt  them.  The 
richest  cloth  enrobed  his  body,  and,  a  short  distance  from 
the  village,  he  was  placed  upon  a  scaffold. 

Food  was  placed  beside  him  ;  it  would  be  long  before 
his  soul  would  reach  the  city  of  spirits  ;  his  strength  would 
fail  him,  were  it  not  for  the  refreshment  of  the  tender  flesh 
of  the  wild  deer  he  had  loved  to  chase,  and  the  cooling 
waters  he  had  drank  on  earth,  for  many,  many  winters. 

But  after  the  death  of  Cloudy  Sky,  the  heart  of  Harp 
stenah  grew  light.  She  joined  again  in  the  ball  plays  on 
the  prairies.  It  needed  no  vermilion  on  her  cheek  to  show 
the  brightness  of  her  eye,  for  the  flush  of  hope  and  happi 
ness  was  there. 

The  dark  deed  was  forgotten  ;  and  when,  in  the  time 
that  the  leaves  began  to  fall,  they  prepared  the  wild  rice 
for  winter's  use,  Red  Deer  was  at  her  side. 


238  LEGENDS    OF   THE   SIOUX. 

He  was  a  good  hunter,  and  the  parents  were  old.  Red 
Deer  ever  kept  them  supplied  with  game — and  winter 
found  her  a  wife,  and  a  happy  one  too  ;  for  Red  "Deer 
loved  her  in  very  truth — and  the  secret  of  the  death  of  the 
medicine  man  was  buried  in  their  hearts. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

TEN  years  had  passed  away  since  their  marriage,  and 
Red  Deer  had  never  brought  another  wife  to  his  teepee. 
Harpstenah  was  without  a  rival  in  his  affections,  if  we 
except  the  three  strong  boys  who  were  growing  up  beside 
them. 

Chaske  (the  oldest  son)  could  hunt  for  his  mother,  and  it 
was  well  that  he  could,  for  his  father's  strength  was  gone. 
Consumption  wasted  his  limbs,  and  the  once  powerful  arm 
could  not  now  support  his  drooping  head. 

The  father  and  mother  had  followed  Cloudy  Sky  to  the 
world  of  spirits ;  they  were  both  anxious  to  depart  from 
earth,  for  age  had  made  them  feeble,  and  the  hardships  of 
ninety  years  made  them  eager  to  have  their  strength  re 
newed,  in  the  country  where  their  ancestors  were  still  in 
the  vigor  of  early  youth.  The  band  at  Lake  Calhoun 
were  going  on  a  hunt  for  porcupines;  a  long  hunt,  and 
Harpstenah  tried  to  deter  her  husband  from  attempting 
the  journey  ;  but  he  thought  the  animating  exercise  of  the 
chase  would  be  a  restorative  to  his  feeble  frame,  and  they 
set  out  with  the  rest. 


UNKTAHE   AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD. 


When  the  hunters  had  obtained  a  large  number  of  those 
valued  animals,  the  women  struck  their  teepees  and  pre 
pared  for  their  return.  Harpstenah's  lodge  alone  remained, 
for  in  it  lay  the  dying  man — by  his  side  his  patient  wife. 
The  play  of  the  children  had  ceased — they  watched  with 
silent  awe  the  pale  face  and  bright  eye  of  their  father — 
they  heard  him  charge  their  mother  to  place  food  that  his 
soul  might  be  refreshed  on  its  long  journey.  Not  a  tear 
dimmed  her  eye  as  she  promised  all  he  asked. 

"  There  is  one  thing,  rny  wife,"  he  said,  "  which  still 
keeps  my  spirit  on  earth.  My  soul  cannot  travel  the  road 
to  the  city  of  spirits — that  long  road  made  by  the  bravest 
of  our  warriors — while  it  remembers  the  body  which  it  has 
so  long  inhabited  shall  be  buried  far  from  its  native  village. 
Your  words  were  wise  when  you  told  me  I  had  not  strength 
to  travel  so  far,  and  now  my  body  must  lie  far  from  my 
home — far  from  the  place  of  my  birth — from  the  village 
where  I  have  danced  the  dog  feast,  and  from  the  shores  of 
the  '  spirit  lakes'  where  my  father  taught  me  to  use  my 
bow  and  arrow." 

"  Your  body  shall  lie  on  the  scaffold  near  your  native 
village,"  his  wife  replied.  "When  I  turn  from  this  place,  I 
will  take  with  me  my  husband ;  and  my  young  children 
shall  walk  by  my  side.  My  heart  is  as  brave  now  as  it 
was  when  I  took  the  life  of  the  medicine  man.  The  love 
that  gave  me  courage  then,  will  give  me  strength  now. 
Fear  not  for  me ;  my  limbs  will  not  be  weary,  and  when 
the  Great  Spirit  calls  me,  I  will  hear  his  voice,  and  follow 
you  to  the  land  of  spirits,  where  there  will  be  no  more 
sickness  nor  trouble." 

Many  stars  shone  out  that  night ;  they  assisted  in  the 


240  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

solemn  and  the  sacred  watch.  The  mother  looked  at  the 
faces  of  her  sleeping  sons,  and  listened  to  their  heavy  breath 
ing  ;  they  had  but  started  on  the  journey  of  life. 

She  turned  to  her  husband :  it  was  but  the  wreck  of  a 
deserted  house,  the  tenant  had  departed 

The  warrior  was  already  far  on  his  journey ;  ere  this, 
he  had  reached  the  lodge  where  the  freed  spirit  adorns  itself 
ere  entering  upon  its  new  abode. 

Some  days  after,  Harpstenah  entered  her  native  village, 
bearing  a  precious  burden.  Strapped  to  her  back  was  the 
body  of  her  husband.  By  day,  she  had  borne  it,  all  the 
weary  way  ;  at  night,  she  had  stopped  to  rest  and  to  weep. 
Nor  did  her  strength  fail  her,  until  she  reached  her  home ; 
then,  insensible  to  sorrow  and  fatigue,  she  sunk  to  the  earth. 

The  women  relieved  her  from  the  burden,  and  afterwards 
helped  her  to  bury  her  dead. 

Many  waters  could  not  quench  her  love,  nor  could  the 
floods  drown  it.  It  was  strong  as  death. 

Well  might  she  sit  in  her  lodge  and  weep !  The  village 
where  she  passed  her  childhood  and  youth  was  deserted. 
Her  husband  forgotten  by  all  but  herself.  Her  two  sons 
were  murdered  by  the  Chippeways,  while  defending  their 
mother  and  their  young  brother. 

Well  might  she  weep  !  and  tremble  too,  for  death  among 
the  Dahcotahs  comes  as  often  by  the  fire  water  purchased 
from  the  white  people,  as  from  the  murderous  tomahawk 
and  scalping-knife  of  the  Chippeways. 

Nor  were  her  fears  useless;  she  never  again  saw  her 
son,  until  his  body  was  brought  to  her,  his  dark  features 
stiff  in  death.  The  death  blow  was  given,  too,  by  the 


UNKTAHE   AND   THE   THUNDER   BIRD.  241 

friend  who  had  shamed  him  from  listening  to  his  mother's 

voice. 

#  *  *  #  #  # 

What  wonder  that  she  should  not  heed  the  noise  of  the 
tempest !  The  storms  of  her  life  had  been  fiercer  than  the 
warring  of  the  elements.  But  while  the  fountains  of 
heaven  were  unsealed,  those  of  her  heart  were  closed  for 
ever.  Never  more  should  tears  relieve  her,  who  had  shed 
so  many.  Often  had  she  gone  into  the  prairies  to  weep, 
far  from  the  sight  of  her  companions.  Her  voice  was  heard 
from  a  distance.  The  wind  would  waft  the  melancholy 
sound  back  to  the  village. 

"  It  is  only  Harpstenah,"  said  the  women.  "  She  has 
gone  to  the  prairies  to  weep  for  her  husband  and  her  chil 
dren." 

The  storm  raged  during  the  night,  but  ceased  with  the 
coming  of  day.  The  widowed  wife  and  childless  mother 
was  found  dead  under  the  scaffold  where  lay  the  body  of 
her  son. 

The  Thunder  Bird  was  avenged  for  the  death  of  his 
friend.  The  strength  of  Red  Deer  had  wasted  under  a 
lingering  disease ;  his  children  were  dead ;  their  mother 
lay  beside  her  youngest  son.  <  * 

The  spirit  of  the  waters  had  not  appeared  in  vain. 
When  the  countenance  of  Unktahe  rests  upon  a  Dahcotah, 
it  is  the  sure  prognostic  of  coming  evil.  The  fury  of  the 
storm  spirits  was  spent  when  the  soul  of  Harpstenah  fol 
lowed  her  lost  ones. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

Dimly,  as  the  lengthened  shadows  of  evening  fall  around 
them,  are  seen  the  outstretched  arms  of  the  suffering  Dah- 

11 


242  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

cotah   women,   as  they  appeal  to  us  for  assistance — and 
not  to  proud  man  ! 

He,  in  the  halls  of  legislation,  decides  when  the  lands  of 
the  red  man  are  needed — one  party  makes  a  bargain  which 
the  other  is  forced  to  accept. 

But  in  a  woman's  heart  God  has  placed  sympathies  to 
which  the  sorrows  of  the  Dahcotah  women  appeal.  Listen ! 
for  they  tell  you  they  would  fain  know  of  a  balm  for  the 
many  griefs  they  endure  ;  they  would  be  taught  to  avoid 
the  many  sins  they  commit ;  and,  oh !  how  gladly  would 
many  of  them  have  their  young  children  accustomed  to 
shudder  at  the  sight  of  a  fellow  creature's  blood.  Like  us, 
they  pour  out  the  best  affections  of  early  youth  on  a  be 
loved  object.  Like  us,  they  have  clasped  their  children  to 
their  hearts  in  devoted  love.  Like  us,  too,  they  have  wept 
as  they  laid  them  in  the  quiet  earth. 

But  they  must  fiercely  grapple  with  trials  which  we  have 
never  conceived.  Winter  after  winter  passes,  and  they 
perish  from  disease,  and  murder,  and  famine. 

There  is  a  way  to  relieve  them — would  you  know  it  ? 
Assist  the  missionaries  who  are  giving  their  lives  to  them 
and  God.  Send  them  money,  that  they  may  clothe  the 
feeble  infant,  and  feed  its  starving  mother. 

Send  them  money,  that  they  may  supply  the  wants  of 
those  who  are  sent  to  school,  and  thus  encourage  others  to 
attend. 

As  the  day  of  these  forgotten  ones  is  passing  away,  so 
is  ours.  They  were  born  to  suffer,  we  to  relieve.  Let 
their  deathless  souls  be  taught  the  way  of  life,  that  they 
and  we,  after  the  harsh  discords  of  earth  shall  have  ceased, 
may  listen  together  to  the  "  harmonies  of  Heaven." 


HAOKAH    OZAPE; 


DANCE    TO     THE     GIANT. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  dance  to  the  Giant  is  now  rarely  celebrated  among 
the  Dahcotahs.  So  severe  is  the  sacrifice  to  this  deity, 
that  there  are  few  who  have  courage  to  attempt  it ;  and  yet 
Haokah  is  universally  reverenced  and  feared  among  the 
Sioux. 

They  believe  in  the  existence  of  many  Giants,  but 
Haokah  is  one  of  the  principal.  He  is  styled  the  anti- 
natural  god.  In  summer  he  feels  cold,  in  winter  he 
suffers  from  the  heat ;  hot  water  is  cold  to  him,  and  the 
contrary. 

The  Dahcotah  warrior,  however  brave  he  may  be, 
believes  that  when  he  dreams  of  Haokah,  calamity  is  im 
pending  and  can  only  be  avoided  by  some  sort  of  sacrifice 
to  this  god. 

The  incident  on  which  this  story  is  founded,  occurred 
while  I  resided  among  the  Sioux.  I  allude  to  the  desertion 
of  Wenona  by  her  lover.  It  serves  to  show  the  blind  and 
ignorant  devotion  of  the*  Dahcotah  to  his  religion. 

And  as  man  is  ever  alike  in   every  country,  and  under 


244  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

every  circumstance  of  life — as  he  often  from  selfish  motives 
tramples  upon  the  heart  that  trusts  him — so  does  woman 
utterly  condemn  a  sister,  feeling  no  sympathy  for  her 
sorrow,  but  only  hatred  of  her  fault. 

Jealous  for  the  honor  of  the  long-reverenced  feasts  of  the 
Dahcotahs — the  "  Deer  Killer"  thought  not  for  a  moment 
of  the  sorrow  and  disgrace  he  would  bring  upon  Wenona, 
while  Wauska  loved  the  warrior  more  than  ever,  triumph 
ing  in  his  preference  of  her,  above  her  companion.  And 
Wenona — 

A  cloud  came  o'er  the  prospect  of  her  life, 
And  evening  did  set  in 
Early,  and  dark  and  deadly. 

But  she  loved  too  truly  to  be  jealous,  and  departed  with 
out  the  revenge  that  most  Indian  women  would  have 
sought,  and  accomplished  too.  Her  silence  on  the  subject 
of  her  early  trial  induced  her  friends  to  believe  that  her 
mind  was  affected,  a  situation  caused  by  long  and  intense 
suffering,  and  followed  by  neglect ;  in  such  cases  the  in 
valid  is  said  to  have  no  heart. 

The  girl  from  whom  I  have  attempted  to  draw  the 
character  of  Wauska,  I  knew  well. 

Good  looking,  with  teeth  like  pearls,  her  laugh  was  per 
fect  music.  Often  have  I  been  roused  from  my  sewing 
or  reading,  by  hearing  the  ringing  notes,  as  they  were 
answered  by  the  children.  She  generally  announced  her 
self  by  a  laugh,  and  was  welcomed  by  one  in  return. 

She  was  pettish  withal,  and  easily  offended,  and  if  re 
fused  calico  for  an  okendokenda, .  or  beads,  or  ribbon  to 
ornament  some  part  of  her  dress,  she  would  sullenly  rest 


HAOKAH  OZAPE ;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.          245 

her  chin  on  her  hand,  until  pacified  with  a  present,  or  the 
promise  of  one. 

It  is  in  Indian  life  as  in  ours — youth  believes  and  trusts, 
and  advancing  years  bring  the  consciousness  of  the  trials 
of  life ;  the  necessity  of  enduring,  and  in  some  cases  the 
power  to  overcome  them.  Who  but  she  who  suffers  it, 
can  conceive  the  Sioux  woman's  greatest  trial — to  feel  that 
the  love  that  is  her  right,  is  gone !  to  see  another  take 
the  place  by  the  household  fire,  that  was  hers ;  to  be  last 
where  she  was  first. 

It  may  require  some  apology  that  Wauska  should  have 
vowed  destruction  upon  herself  if  the  Deer  Killer  took 
another  wife,  and  yet  should  have  lived  on  and  become 
that  most  unromantic  of  all  characters — a  virago.  She 
was  reconciled  in  time  to  what  was  inevitable,  and  as 
there  are  many  wives  among  the  Sioux,  there  must  be  the 
proportion  of  scolding  ones.  So  I  plead  guilty  to  the 
charge  of  wanting  sentiment,  choosing  rather  to  be  true  to 
nature.  And  there  is  this  consideration:  if  there  be  among 
the  Dahcotahs  some  Catharines,  there  are  many  Petruchios. 

A  group  of  Indian  girls  were  seated  on  the  grass, 
Wauska  in  the  centre,  her  merry  musical  laugh  echoed  back 
by  all  but  Wenona.  The  leaves  of  the  large  forest  tree 
under  which  they  were  sheltered  seemed  to  vibrate  to  the 
joyous  sounds,  stirred  as  they  were  by  a  light  breeze  that 
blew  from  the  St.  Peter's.  Hark  !  they  laugh  again,  and 
"  old  John"  wakes  up  from  his  noon-day  nap  and  turns  a 
curious,  reproving  look  to  the  noisy  party,  and  Shah-co-pee, 
the  orator  of  the  Sioux,  moves  towards  them,  anxious  to 
find  out  the  cause  of  their  mirth. 


246  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

"  Old  John,"  after  a  hearty  stretch,  joins  them  too,  and 
now  the  fumes  of  the  pipe  ascend,  and  mix  with  the  odor 
of  the  sweet-scented  prairie  grass  that  the  young  girls  are 
braiding. 

But  neither  Shah-co-pee  the  chief,  nor  old  John  the 
medicine  man,  could  find  out  the  secret ;  they  coaxed  and 
threatened  in  turns — but  all  in  vain,  for  their  curiosity  was 
not  gratified.  They  might  have  noticed,  however,  that 
Wenona's  face  was  pale,  and  her  eyes  red  with  weeping. 
She  was  idle  too,  while  the  others  plaited  busily,  and  there 
was  a  subdued  look  of  sadness  about  her  countenance, 
contrasting  strangely  with  the  merry  faces  of  the  others. 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  Shah-co-pee  what  we  were  laugh 
ing  at,  Wenona  ?"  said  Wanska.  "  Your  secret  is  known 
now.  The  Deer-killer  told  all  at  the  Virgin's  feast.  Why 
did  you  not  make  him  promise  not  to  come  ?  If  I  had 
been  you,  I  would  have  lain  sick  the  day  of  the  feast,  I 
would  have  struck  my  foot,  so  that  I  could  not  walk,  or, 
I  would  have  died  before  I  entered  the  ring. 

"  The  Deer-killer  promised  to  marry  me,"  replied  We 
nona.  "He  said  that  when  he  returned  from  his  hunt  I 
should  be  his  wife.  But  I  know  well  why  he  has  disgraced 
me  ;  you  have  tried  to  make  him  love  you,  and  now  he  is 
waiting  to  take  you  to  his  lodge.  He  is  not  a  great  war 
rior,  or  he  would  have  kept  his  word." 

"  Wenona  !"  said  Wanska,  interrupting  her,  "  you  have 
not  minded  the  advice  of  your  grandmother.  She  told  you 
never  to  trust  the  promises  of  the  bravest  warriors.  You 
should  not  have  believed  his  words,  until  he  took  you  to  his 
wigwam.  But  do  not  be  afraid  that  I  will  marry  the  Deer- 
killer.  There  was  never  but  one  woman  among  the  Dah 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.  247 


cotahs  who  did  not  marry,  and  I  am  going  to  be  the 
second." 

"  You  had  better  hush,  Wanska,"  said  the  Bright  Star. 
"  You  know  she  had  her  nose  cut  off  because  she  refused 
to  be  a  wife,  and  somebody  may  cut  yours  off  too.  It  is 
better  to  be  the  mother  of  warriors  than  to  have  every  one 
laughing  at  you." 

"  Enah  !  then  I  will  be  married,  rather  than  have  my 
nose  cut  off,  but  I  will  not  be  the  Deer-killer's  wife.  So 
Wenona  may  stop  crying." 

" He  says  he  will  never  marry  me,"  said  Wenona;  "  and 
it  will  do  rne  no  good  for  you  to  refuse  to  be  his  wife.  But 
you  are  a  liar,  like  him ;  for  you  know  you  love  him.  I 
am  going  far  away,  and  the  man  \vho  has  broken  his  faith 
to  the  maiden  who  trusted  him,  will  never  be  a  good  hus 
band." 

"  If  I  were  Wenona,  and  you  married  the  Deer-killer," 
said  the  Bright  Star  to  Wanska,  "  you  should  not  live 
long  after  it.  She  is  a  coward  or  she  would  not  let  you 
laugh  at  her  as  you  did.  I  believe  she  has  no  heart  since 
the  Virgin's  feast;  sometimes  she  laughs  so  loud  that  we 
can  hear  her  from  our  teepee,  and  then  she  bends  her  head 
and  weeps.  When  her  mother  places  food  before  her  she 
says,  '  Will  he  bring  the  meat  of  the  young  deer  for  me  to 
dress  for  him,  and  will  my  lodge  be  ever  full  of  food,  that 
I  may  offer  it  to  the  hungry  and  weary  stranger  who  stops 
to  rest  himself?'  If  I  were  in  her  place,  Wanska,"  added 
the  Bright  Star,  "  I  would  try  and  be  a  medicine  woman, 
and  I  would  throw  a  spell  upon  the  Deer-killer,  and  upon 
you  too,  if  you  married  him." 

"  The  Deer-killer  is  coming,"  said  another  of  the  girls. 


2-18  LEGENDS  OF   THE   SIOUX. 

"  He  has  been  watching  us ;  and  now  that  he  sees  Wenona 
has  gone  away,  he  is  coming  to  talk  to  Wanska.  He 
wears  many  eagle  feathers :  Wenona  may  well  weep  that 
she  cannot  be  his  wife,  for  there  is  not  a  warrior  in  the  vil 
lage  who  steps  so  proudly  as  he." 

But  he  advanced  and  passed  them  indifferently.  •  By 
and  by  they  separated,  when  he  followed  Wanska  to  her 
father's  teepee. 

Her  mother  and  father  had  gone  to  dispose  of  game  in 
exchange  for  bread  and  flour,  and  the  Deer-killer  seated 
himself  uninvited  on  the  floor  of  the  lodge. 

"  The  teepee  of  the  warrior  is  lonely  when  he  returns 
from  hunting,"  said  he  to  the  maiden.  "  Wanska  must 
come  to  the  lodge  of  the  Deer-killer.  She  shall  ever  have 
the  tender  flesh  of  the  deer  and  buffalo  to  refresh  her,  and 
no  other  wife  shall  be  there  to  make  her  unhappy." 

"  Wanska  is  very  happy  now,"  she  replied.  "  Her  father 
is  a  good  hunter.  He  has  gone  to-day  to  carry  ducks  and 
pigeons  to  the  Fort.  The  promises  of  the  Deer-killer  are 
like  the  branch  that  breaks  in  my  hand.  Wenona's  face 
is  pale,  and  her  eyes  are  red  like  blood  from  weeping.  The 
Deer-killer  promised  to  make  her  his  wife,  and  now  that 
he  has  broken  His  word  to  her,  he  tells  Wanska  that  he 
will  never  take  another  wife,  but  she  cannot  trust  him." 

"Wanska  was  well  named  the  Merry  Heart,"  the  war 
rior  replied;  "she  laughs  at  Wenona  and  calls  her  a  fool, 
and  then  she  wishes  me  to  marry  her.  Who  would  listen 
to  a  woman's  words  ?  And  yet  the  voice  of  the  Merry 
Heart  is  sweeter  than  a  bird's — her  laugh  makes  my  spirit 
glad.  When  she  sits  in  my  lodge  and  sings  to  the  children 
who  will  call  me  father,  I  shall  be  happy.  Many  women 


HAOKAH  OZAPE ;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.          249 

have  loved  the  Deer-killer,  but  never  has  he  cared  to  sit 
beside  one,  till  he  heard  the  voice  of  Wanska  as  she  sang 
in  the  scalp-dance,  and  saw  her  bear  the  scalp  of  her  enemy 
upon  her  shoulders." 

Wanska's  face  was  pale  while  she  listened  to  him.  She 
approached  him,  and  laid  her  small  hand  upon  his  arm — 
"  I  have  heard  your  words,  and  my  heart  says  they  are 
good.  I  have  loved  you  ever  since  we  were  children. 
When  1  was  told  that  you  were  always  by  the  side  of 
Wenona,  the  laugh  of  my  companions  was  hateful  to  me — 
the  light  of  the  sun  was  darkness  to  my  eyes.  When 
Wenona  returned  to  her  village  with  her  parents,  I  said  in 
the  presence  of  the  Great  Spirit  that  she  should  not  live 
after  you  had  made  her  your  wife.  But  her  looks  told  me 
that  there  was  sadness  in  her  heart,  and  then  I  knew  you 
could  not  love  her. 

"  You  promise  me  you  will  never  bring  another  wife  to 
your  wigwam.  Deer-killer  !  the  wife  of  the  white  man  is 
happy,  for  her  husband  loves  her  alone.  The  children  of 
the  second  wife  do  not  mock  the  woman  who  is  no  longer 
beloved,  nor  strike  her  children  before  her  eyes.  When  I 
am  your  wife  I  shall  be  happy  while  you  love  me ;  there 
will  be  no  night  in  my  teepee  while  I  know  your  heart  is 
faithful  and  true  ;  but  should  you  break  your  word  to  me, 
and  bring  to  your  lodge  another  wife,  you  shall  see  me  no 
more,  and  the  voice  whose  sound  is  music  to  your  ears 
you  will  never  hear  again." 

Promises  come  as  readily  to  the  lips  of  an  Indian  lover 
as  trustfulness  does  to  the  heart  of  the  woman  who  listens 
to  them  ;  and  the  Deer-killer  was  believed. 

Wanska  had  been  often  at  the  Fort,  and  she  had  seen 

11* 


250  LEGENDS    OF   THE    SIOUX. 

the  difference  between  the  life  of  a  white  and  that  of  an 
Indian  woman.  She  had  thought  that  the  Great  Spirit 
was  unmindful  of  the  cares  of  his  children. 

And  who  would  have  thought  that  care  was  known  to 
Wanska,  with  her  merry  laugh,  and  her  never-ceasing 
jokes,  whether  played  upon  her  young  companions,  or  on 
the  old  medicine  man  who  kept  everybody  but  her  in  awe 
of  him. 

She  seemed  to  be  everywhere  too,  at  the  same  time. 
Her  canoe  dances  lightly  over  the  St.  Peter's,  and  her 
companions  try  in  vain  to  keep  up  with  her.  Soon  her 
clear  voice  is  heard  -as  she  sings,  keeping  time  with  the 
strokes  of  the  axe  she  uses  so  skilfully.  A  peal  of  laughter 
rouses  the  old  woman,  her  mother,  who  goes  to  bring  the 
truant  home,  but  she  is  gone,  and  when  she  returns,  in 
time  to  see  the  red  sun  fade  away  in  the  bright  horizon, 
she  tells  her  mother  that  she  went  out  with  two  or  three 
other  girls,  to  assist  the  hunters  in  bringing  in  the  deer 
they  had  killed.  And  her  mother  for  once  does  not  scold, 
for  she  remembers  how  she  used  to  love  to  wander  on  the 
prairies,  when  her  heart  was  as  light  and  happy  as  her 
child's. 

When  Wanska  was  told  that  the  Deer-killer  loved  We- 
nona,  no  one  heard  her  sighs,  and  for  tears,  she  was  too  proud 
to  shed  any.  Wenona's  fault  had  met  with  ridicule  and 
contempt;  there  was  neither  sympathy  nor  excuse  found  for 
her.  And  now  that  the  Deer-killer  had  slighted  Wenona, 
and  had  promised  to  love  her  alone,  there  was  nothing 
wanting  to  her  happiness. 

Bright  tears  of  joy  fell  from  her  eyes  when  her  lover 
said  there  was  a  spell  over  him  when  he  loved  Wenona, 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.          251 

but  now  his  spirit  was  free  ;  that  he  would  ever  love  her 
truly,  and  that  when  her  parents  returned  he  would  bring 
rich  presents  and  lay  them  at  the  door  of  the  lodge. 

Wanska  was  indeed  "the  Merry  Heart,"  for  she  loved 
the  Deer-killer  more  than  life  itself,  and  life  was  to  her 
a  long  perspective  of  brightness.  She  would  lightly 
tread  the  journey  of  existence  by  his  side,  and  when 
wearied  with  the  joys  of  this  world,  they  would  together 
travel  the  road  that  leads  to  the  Heaven  of  the  Dah- 
cotahs. 

She  sat  dreaming  of  the  future  after  the  Deer-killer 
had  left  her,  nor  knew  of  her  parents'  return  until  she 
heard  her  mother's  sharp  voice  as  she  asked  her  "  if  the 
corn  would  boil  when  the  fire  was  out,  and  where  was  the 
bread  that  she  was  told  to  have  ready  on  their  return  ?" 

Bread  and  corn  !  when  Wanska  had  forgot  all  but  that 
she  was  beloved.  She  arose  quickly,  and  her  light  laugh 
drowned  her  mother's  scolding.  Soon  her  good  humor 
was  infectious,  for  her  mother  told  her  that  she  had  needles 
and  thread  in  plenty,  besides  more  flour  and  sugar,  and 
that  her  father  was  going  out  early  in  the  morning  to  kill 
more  game  for  the  Long  Knives  who  loved  it  so  well. 


CHAPTER    II. 

A  FEW  months  ago,  the  Deer-killer  had  told  Wenona 
that  Wanska  was  noisy  and  tiresome,  and  that  her  soft 
dark  eyes  were  far  more  beautiful  than  Wanska's  laugh- 


252  LEGENDS    OP  THE    SIOUX. 


ing  ones.  They  were  not  at  home  then,  for  Wenona  had 
accompanied  her  parents  on  a  visit  to  some  relations  who 
lived  far  above  the  village  of  Shah-co-pee. 

While  there  the  Deer-killer  came  in  with  some  war 
riors  who  had  been  on  a  war  party ;  there  Wenona  was 
assured  that  Jier  rival,  the  Merry  Heart,  was  forgotten. 

And  well  might  the  Deer-killer  and  Wenona  have  loved 
each  other.  "Youth  turns  to  youth  as  the  flower  to  the 
sun,"  and  he  was  brave  and  noble  in  his  pride  and  power ; 
and  she,  gentle  and  loving,  though  an  Indian  woman  ;  so 
quiet  too,  and  all  unlike  Wanska,  who  was  the  noisiest 
little  gossip  in  the  village. 

Often  had  they  wandered  together  through  the  u  solemn 
temples  of  the  earth,"  nor  did  she  ever  fear,  with  the  war 
rior  child  for  a  protector.  She  had  followed  him  when  he 
ascended  the  cliffs  where  the  tracks  of  the  eagle  were  seen ; 
and  with  him  she  felt  safe  when  the  wind  was  tossino- 

o 

their  canoe  on  the  Mississippi,  when  the  storm  spirits  had 
arisen  in  their  power.  They  were  still  children  when 
Wenona  would  know  his  step  among  many  others,  but 
they  were  no  longer  children  when  Wenona  left  Shah- 
co-pee's  village,  for  she  loved  with  a  woman's  devotion — 
and  more  than  loved.  She  had  trembled  when  she  saw 
the  Deer-killer  watch  Wanska  as  she  tripped  merrily 
about  the  village.  Sleeping  or  waking,  his  image  was  ever 
before  her ;  he  was  the  idol  to  which  her  spirit  bowed,  the 
sun  of  her  little  world. 

The  dance  to  the  giant  was  to  be  celebrated  at  the 
village  where  they  were  visiting ;  the  father  of  Wenona 
and  "  Old  John"  the  medicine  man,  were  to  join  in  it. 
The  maiden  had  been  nothing  loth  to  undertake  the  jour- 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;    THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.  253 


ney,  for  the  Deer-killer  had  gone  on  a  war  party  against 
the  Chippeways,  and  she  thought  that  in  the  course  of 
their  journey  they  might  meet  him — and  when  away  from 
Wanska,  he  would  return  to  her  side.  He  could  not 
despise  the  love  she  had  given  him.  Hope,  that  bright, 
star  of  youth,  hovered  over  her,  and  its  light  was  reflected 
on  her  heart. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  village  of  the  chief  Markeda, 
or  "Burning  Earth,"  the  haughty  brow  of  the  chief  was 
subdued  with  care.  He  had  dreamed  of  Haokah  the 
giant,  and  he  knew  there  was  sorrow  or  danger  threaten 
ing  him.  He  had  sinned  against  the  giant,  and  what 
might  be  the  consequence  of  offending  him?  Was  his 
powerful  arm  to  be  laid  low,  and  the  strong  pulse  to  cease 
its  beatings  ?  Did  his  dream  portend  the  loss  of  his  young 
wife  ?  She  was  almost  as  dear  to  him  as  the  fleet  hunter 
that  bore  him  to  the  chase. 

It  might  be  that  the  angry  god  would  send  their  enemies 
among  them,  and  his  tall  sons  would  gladden  his  sight  no 
more.  Sickness  and  hunger,  phantom-like,  haunted  his 
waking  and  sleeping  hours. 

There  was  one  hope ;  he  might  yet  ward  off  the  danger, 
for  the  uplifted  arm  of  the  god  had  not  fallen.  He  hoped 
to  appease  the  anger  of  the  giant  by  dancing  in  his  honor. 

"We  have  travelled  far,"  said  old  John  the  medicine 
man,  to  Markeda,  "  and  are  tired.  When  we  have  slept 
we  will  dance  with  you,  for  we  are  of  the  giant's  party." 

"  Great  is  Haokah,  the  giant  of  the  Dahcotahs,"  the 
chief  replied;  "it  is  a  long  time  since  we  have  danced  to 
him." 

"  I  had  been  hunting  with  my  warriors,  we  chased  the 


254  LEGENDS  OF  THE   SIOUX. 

buffalo,  and  our  arrows  pierced  their  sides ;  they  turned 
upon  us,  bellowing,  their  heads  beating  the  ground  ;  their 
terrible  eyes  glared  upon  us  even  in  death  ;  they  rolled  in 
the  dust,  for  their  strength  was  gone.  We  brought  them 
to  the  village  for  our  women  to  prepare  for  us  when  we 
should  need  them.  I  had  eaten  and  was  refreshed  ;  and, 
tired  as  ray  limbs  were,  I  could  not  sleep  at  first,  but  at 
last  the  fire  grew  dim  before  my  eyes,  and  I  slept. 

"  I  stood  on  the  prairie  alone,  in  my  dream,  and  the 
giant  appeared  before  me.  So  tall  was  he  that  the  clouds 
seemed  to  float  about  his  head.  I  trembled  at  the  sound 
of  his  voice,  it  was  as  if  the  angry  winds  were  loosed  upon 
the  earth. 

"  '  The  warriors  of  the  Dahcotahs  are  turned  women,' 
said  he  ;  *  that  they  no  longer  dance  in  honor  of  the  giant, 
nor  sing  his  songs.  Markeda  is  not  a  coward,  but  let  him 
tremble  ;  he  is  not  a  child,  but  he  may  shed  tears  if  the 
anger  of  the  giant  comes  upon  him.' 

"  Glad  was  I  when  I  woke  from  my  dream — and  now, 
lest  I  am  punished  for  my  sins,  I  will  make  a  sacrifice  to 
the  giant.  Should  I  not  fear  him  who  is  so  powerful  ? 
Can  he  not  take  the  thunder  in  his  hand  and  cast  it  to  the 
earth  ? 

;'  The  heart  of  the  warrior  should  be  brave  when  he 
dances  to  the  giant.  My  wigwam  is  ready,  and  the  friends 
of  the  giant  are  ready  also." 

"  Give  me  your  mocassins,"  said  the  young  wife  of 
Markeda  to  old  John ;  "  they  are  torn,  and  I  will  mend 
them.  You  have  come  from  afar,  and  are  welcome. 
Sleep,  and  when  you  awake,  you  will  find  them  beside 
you."  As  she  assisted  him  to  take  them  off,  the  medicine 


HAOKAH  OZAPE ;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.  255 


man  looked  admiringly  into  her  face.  "  The  young  wife 
of  Markeda  is  as  beautiful  as  the  white  flowers  that  spring 
up  on  the  prairies.  Her  husband  would  mourn  for  her  if 
the  giant  should  close  her  eyes.  They  are  bright  now,  as 
the  stars,  but  death  would  dim  them,  should  not  the  anger 
of  the  giant  be  appeased.1' 

The  "Bounding  Fawn"  turned  pale  at  the  mention  of 
the  angry  giant ;  she  sat  down,  without  replying,  to  her 
work  ;  wondering  the  while,  if  the  soul  of  her  early  love 
thought  of  her,  now  that  it  wandered  in.  the  Spirit's  land. 
It  might  be  thai  he  would  love  her  again  when  they  should 
meet  there.  The  sound  of  her  child's  voice,  awakening 
out  of  sleep,  aroused  her,  and  called  to  her  mind  who  was 
its  father. 

"  They  tore  me  away  from  my  lover,  and  made  me  come 
to  the  teepee  of  the  chief,"  was  her  bitter  reflection. 
"  Enah  !  .that  I  cannot  love  the  father  of  my  child." 

She  rose  and  left  the  teepee.  "  Where  is  the  heaven  of 
the  Dahcotahs,"  she  murmured,  as  she  looked  up  to  the 
silent  stars.  "It  may  be  that  I  shall  see  him  again.  He 
will  love  my  child  too,  and  I  will  forget  the  many  tears  I 
have  shed." 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  dance  to  the  Giant  is  always  performed  inside  the 
wigwam.  Early  in  the  morning  the  dancers  were  assem 
bled  in  the  chief's  lodge.  Their  dress  was  such  as  is 
appointed  for  the  occasion.  Their  hats  were  made  of  the 


256  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

bark  of  trees,  such  as  tradition  says  the  Giant  wears. 
They  were  large,  and  made  forked  like  the  lightning. 
Their  leggins  were  made  of  skins.  Their  ear-rings  were 
of  the  bark  of  trees,  and  were  about  one  foot  long. 

The  chief  rose  ere  the  dawn  of  day,  and  stood  before  the 
fire.  As  the  flames  flickered,  and  the  shadows  of  the 
dancers  played  fantastically  about  the  wigwam,  they  looked 
more  like  Lucifer  and  a  party  of  attendant  spirits,  than 
like  human  beings  worshipping  their  God. 

Markeda  stood  by  the  fire  without  noticing  his  guests, 
who  awaited  his  motions  in  silence.  At  last,  moving 
slowly,  he  placed  a  kettle  of  water  on  the  fire,  and  then 
threw  into  it  a  large  piece  of  buffalo  meat. 

Lighting  his  pipe,  he  seated  himself,  and  then  the 
dancers  advanced  to  the  fire  and  lit  theirs  ;  and  soon  they 
were  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke. 

When  the  water  began  to  boil,  the  Indians  arose,  and, 
dancing  round  the  fire,  imitated  the  voice  of  the  Giant. 

"  Hah-hah  !  hah  hah  !"  they  sung,  and  each  endeavored 
to  drown  the  voice  of  the  other.  Now  they  crouch  as 
they  dance,  looking  diminutive  and  contemptible,  as  those 
who  are  degrading  themselves  in  their  most  sacred  duties. 
Then  they  rise  up,  and  show  their  full  height.  Stalwart 
warriors  as  they  are,  their  keen  eyes  flash  as  they  glance 
from  the  fire  to  each  others'  faces,  distorted  with  the  effort 
of  uttering  such  discordant  sounds.  Now  their  broad 
chests  heave  with  the  exertion,  and  their  breath  comes 
quickly. 

They  seat  themselves,  to  rest  and  smoke.  Again  the 
hellish  sounds  are  heard,  and  the  wife  of  the  chief  trembles 
for  fear  of  the  Giant,  and  her  child  clings  closer  to  her 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.  257 

breast.  The  water  boils,  and,  hissing,  falls  over  into  the 
fire,  the  flames  are  darkened  for  a  moment,  and  then  burst 
up  brighter  than  before. 

Markeda  addresses  the  dancers — "  Warriors  !  the  Giant 
is  powerful — the  water  which  boils  before  us  will  be  cold 
when  touched  by  a  friend  of  the  Giant.  Haokah  will  not 
that  his  friends  should  suffer  when  offering  him  a  sacri 
fice." 

The  warriors  then  advanced  together,  and  each  one  puts 
his  hand  into  the  kettle  and  takes  the  meat  from  the  boil 
ing  water  ;  and  although  suffering  from  the  scalds  produced, 
yet  their  calmness  in  enduring  the  pain,  would  induce  the 
belief  that  the  water  really  felt  to  them  cool  and  pleasant. 

The  meat  is  then  taken  out,  and  put  into  a  wooden  dish, 
and  the  water  left  boiling  on  the  fire.  The  dancers  eat 
the  meat  while  hot,  and  again  they  arrange  themselves  to 
dance.  And  now,  the  mighty  power  of  the  Giant  is 
shown,  for  Markeda  advances  to  the  kettle,  and  taking 
some  water  out  of  it  he  throws  it  upon  his  bare  back, 
singing  all  the  while,  "  The  water  is  cold." 

"Old  John"  advances  and  does  the  same,  followed  by 
the  next  in  turn,  until  the  water  is  exhausted  from  the 
kettle,  and  then  the  warriors  exclaim,  "  How  great  is  the 
power  of  Haokah !  we  have  thrown  boiling  water  upon 
ourselves  and  we  have  not  been  scalded." 

The  dance  is  over — the  sacrifice  is  made.  Markeda 
seeks  his  young  wife  and  fears  not.  He  had  fancied  that 
her  cheeks  were  pale  of  late,  but  now  they  are  flushed  bril 
liantly,  his  heart  is  at  rest. 

The  warriors  disperse,  all  but  the  medicine  man,  and 


258  LEGENDS   OF   THE   SIOUX. 

the  chief's  store  of  buffalo  meat  diminishes  rapidly  under 
the  magic  touch  of  the  epicure. 

Yes !  an  epicure  thou  wert  old  John !  for  I  mind  me 
well  when  thou  earnest  at  dinner  time,  and  how  thou 
saidst  thou  couldst  eat  the  food  of  the  Indian  when  thou 
wert  hungry,  but  the  food  of  ihe  white  man  was  better 
far.  And  thou !  a  Dahcotah  warrior,  a  famous  hunter, 
and  a  medicine  man.  Shame  !  that  thou  shouldst  have 
loved  venison  dressed  with  wine  more  than  when  the 
tender  meat  was  cooked  according  to  the  taste  of  the 
women  of  thy  nation.  I  have  forgotten  thy  Indian  name, 
renegade  as  thou  wert!  but  thou  answerest  as  well  to 
" old  John!" 

Thou  art  now  forgotten  clay,  though  strong  and  vi 
gorous  when  in  wisdom  the  Sioux  were  punished  for  a 
fault  they  did  not  commit.  Their  money  was  not  paid 
them — their  provisions  were  withheld.  Many  were  laid 
low,  and  thou  hast  found  before  now  that  God  is  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  the  Giant  Haokah  is  not. 

And  it  may  be  that  thou  wouldst  fain  have  those  thou 
hast  left  on  earth  know  of  His  power,  who  is  above  all 
spirits,  and  of  His  goodness  who  would  have  all  come  unto 
Him. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

WENONA  had  not  hoped  in  vain,  for  her  lover  was  with 
her,  and  Wanska  seemed  to  be  forgotten.  The  warrior's 
flute  would  draw  her  out  from  her  uncle's  lodge  while  the 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.  259 

moon  rose  o'er  tho  cold  waters.  Wrapped  in  her  blanket, 
she  would  hasten  to  meet  him,  and  listen  to  his  assurances 
of  affection,  wondering  the  while  that  she  had  ever  feared 
he  loved  another. 

She  had  been  some  months  at  the  village  of  Markeda, 
and  she  went  to  meet  her  lover  with  a  heavy  heart.  Her 
mother  had  noticed  that  her  looks  were  sad  and  heavy, 
and  Wenona  knew  that  it  would  not  be  long  ere  she  should 
be  a  happy  wife,  or  a  mark  for  the  bitter  scorn  of  her  com 
panions. 

The  Deer-killer  had  promised,  day  after  day,  that  he 
would  make  her  his  wife,  but  he  ever  found  a  ready  ex 
cuse  ;  and  now  he  was  going  on  a  long  hunt,  and  she  and 
her  parents  were  to  return  to  their  village.  His  quiver 
was  full  of  arrows,  and  his  leggins  were  tightly  girded  upon 
him.  Wenona's  full  heart  was  nigh  bursting  as  she  heard 
that  the  party  were  to  leave  to-morrow.  Should  he  desert 
her,  her  parents  would  kill  her  for  disgracing  them  ;  and 
her  rival,  Wanska,  how  would  she  triumph  over  her  fall? 

"  You  say  that  you  love  me,"  said  she  to  the  Deer-killer, 
"  and  yet  you  treat  me  cruelly.  Why  should  you  leave 
me  without  saying  that  I  am  your  wife  ?  Who  would 
watch  for  your  coming  as  I  would  ?  and  you  will  disgrace 
me  when  I  have  loved  you  so  truly.  Stay — tell  them  you 
have  made  me  your  wife,  and  then  will  I  wait  for  you  at 
the  door  of  my  teepee." 

The  warrior  could  not  stay  from  the  chase,  but  he 
promised  her  that  he  would  soon  return  to  their  village, 
and  then  she  should  be  his  wife. 

Wenona  wept  when  he  left  her ;  shadows  had  fallen 
upon  her  heart,  and  yet  she  hoped  on.  Turning  her  weary 


260  LEGENDS   OF  THE   SIOUX. 

steps  homeward,  she  arrived  there  when  the  maidens  of 
the  village  were  preparing  to  celebrate  the  Virgin's  Feast. 

There  was  no  time  to  deliberate — should  she  absent  her 
self,  she  would  be  suspected,  and  yet  a  little  while  ere  the 
Deer-killer  would  return,  and  her  anxious  heart  would  be 
at  rest. 

The  feast  was  prepared,  and  the  crier  called  for  all  vir 
gins  to  enter  the  sacred  ring. 

Wenona  went  forward  with  a  beating  heart ;  she  was  not 
a  wife,  and  soon  must  be  a  mother.  Wanska,  the  Merry 
Heart,  was  there,  and  many  others  who  wondered  at  the 
pale  looks  of  Wenona — she  who  had  been  on  a  journey, 
and  who  ought  to  have  returned  with  color  bright  as  the 
dying  sun,  whose  light  illumined  earth,  sky  and  water. 

As  they  entered  the  ring  a  party  of  warriors  approached 
the  circle.  Wenona  does  not  look  towards  them,  and  yet 
the  throbbings  of  her  heart  were  not  to  be  endured.  Her 
trembling  limbs  refused  to  sustain  her,  as  the  Deer-killer, 
stalking  towards  the  ring,  calls  aloud — "  Take  her  from 
the  sacred  feast ;  should  she  eat  with  the  maidens  ? — she, 
under  whose  bosom  lies  a  warrior's  child  ?  She  is  un 
worthy." 

And  as  the  unhappy  girl,  with  features  of  stone  and 
glaring  eyes,  gazed  upon  him  bewildered,  he  rudely  led  her 
from  the  ring. 

Wenona  bowed  her  head  and  went — even  as  night  came 
on  when  the  sun  went  down.  Nor  did  the  heart  of  the 
Deer-killer  reproach  him,  for  how  dare  she  offend  the  Great 
Spirit!  Were  not  the  customs  of  his  race  holy  and 
sacred  ? 

Little  to  Wenona  were  her  father's  reproaches,  or  her 


HAOKAH  OZAPE;   THE  DANCE  TO  THE  GIANT.          261 

mother's  curse ;  that  she  was  no  more  beloved  was  all  she 
remembered. 

Again  was  the  Deer-killer  by  the  side  of  Wanska,  and 
she  paid  the  penalty.  Her  husband  brought  other  wives 
to  his  wigwam,  though  Wanska  was  ever  the  favorite  one. 

With  her  own  hand  would  she  put  the  others  out  of  the 
wigwam,  laughing  when  they  threatened  to  tell  their  lord 
when  he  returned,  for  Wanska  managed  to  tell  her  own 
story  first,  and,  termagant  as  she  was,  she  always  had  her 
own  way. 

Wenona  has  ceased  to  weep,  and  far  away  in  the  coun 
try  of  the  Sissetons  she  toils  and  watches  as  all  Indian 
women  toil  and  watch.  Her  young  son  follows  her  as  she 
seeks  the  suffering  Dahcotah,  and  charms  the  disease  to 
leave  his  feeble  frame. 

She  tells  to  the  child  and  the  aged  woman  her  dreams  ; 
she  warns  the  warrior  what  he  shall  meet  with  when  he 
goes  to  battle  ;  and  ever,  as  the  young  girls  assemble  to  pass 
away  the  idle  hours,  she  stops  and  whispers  to  them. 

In  vain  do  they  ask  of  her  husband  :  she  only  points 
to  her  son  and  says,  "  My  hair,  which  is  now  like  snow, 
was  once  black  and  braided  like  his,  and  my  eyes  as  bright. 
They  have  wept  until  tears  come  no  more.  Listen  not  to 
the  warrior  who  says  he  loves."  And  she  passes  from 
their  sight  as  the  morning  mists. 


U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPEj 

OR, 

TO    DANCE    AROUND. 


I  HAVK  noticed  the  many  singular  notions  of  the  Sioux 
concerning  thunder,  and  especially  the  fact  that  they  believe 
it  to  be  a  large  bird.  They  represent  it  thus. 
This  figure  is  often  seen  worked  with  porcu-' 
pine  quills  on  their  ornaments.  Ke-on  means 
to  fly.  Thunder  is  called  Wah-ke-on  or  All-flier.  U-mi- 
ne-wah-chippe  is  a  dance  given  by  some  one  who  fears 
thunder  and  thus  endeavors  to  propitiate  the  god  and  save 
his  own  life. 

A  ring  is  made,  of  about  sixty  feet  in  circumference,  by 
sticking  saplings  in  the  ground,  and  bending  their  tops 
down,  fastening  them  together.  In  the  centre  of  this  ring 
a  pole  is  placed.  The  pole  is  about  fifteen  feet  in  height 
and  painted  red.  From  this  swings  a  piece  of  birch  bark, 
cut  so  as  to  represent  thunder.  At  the  foot  of  the  pole 
stand  two  boys  and  two  girls. 

The  two  boys  represent  war  :  they  are  painted  red,  and 
hold  war-clubs  in  their  hands.  The  girls  have  their  faces 
painted  with  blue  clay:  they  represent  peace. 

On  one  side  of  the  circle  a  kind  of  booth  is  erected,  and 
about  twenty  feet  from  it  a  wigwam.  There  are  fuur  en 
trances  to  this  circle. 


U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPE  ;    OR,   TO   DANCE   AROUND.        263 

When  all  the  arrangements  for  the  dance  are  concluded, 
the  man  who  gives  the  dance  emerges  from  his  wigwam 
dressed  up  as  hideously  as  possible,  crawling  ou  all  fours 
towards  the  booth.  He  must  sing  four  tunes  before  reach 
ing  it. 

In  the  meantime  the  medicine  men,  who  are  seated  in 
the  wigwam,  beat  time  on  the  drum,  and  the  young  men 
and  squaws  keep  time  to  the  music  by  first  hopping  on  one 
foot,  and  then  on  the  other — moving  around  inside  the  ring 
as  fast  as  they  can.  This  is  continued  for  about  five  min 
utes,  until  the  music  stops.  After  resting  a  few  moments, 
the  second  tune  commences,  and  lasts  the  same  length  of 
time,  then  the  third,  and  the  fourth ;  the  Indian  mean 
while  making  his  way  towards  the  booth.  At  the  end 
of  each  tune,  a  whoop  is  raised  by  the  men  dancers. 

After  the  Indian  has  reached  his  booth  inside  the  ring, 
he  must  sing  four  more  tunes  as  before.  At  the  end  of 
the  fourth  tune  the  squaws  all  run  out  of  the  ring  as  fast 
as  possible,  and  must  leave  by  the  same  way  that  they  en 
tered,  the  other  three  entrances  being  reserved  for  the  men, 
who,  carrying  their  war  implements,  might  be  accidentally 
touched  by  one  of  the  squaws — and  the  war  implements 
of  the  Sioux  warrior  have  from  time  immemorial  been  held 
sacred  from  the  touch  of  woman.  For  the  same  reason  the 
men  form  the  inner  ring  in  dancing  round  the  pole,  their 
war  implements  being  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  pole. 

When  the  last  tune  is  ended,  the  young  men  shoot  at  the 
image  of  thunder  which  is  hanging  to  the  pole,  and  when 
it  falls  a  general  rush  is  made  by  the  warriors  to  get  hold 
of  it.  There  is  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  pole  a  bowl  of 
water  colored  with  blue  clay.  While  the  men  are  trying  to 


264  LEGENDS   OF   THE    SIOUX. 

seize  the  parts  of  the  bark  representation  of  their  god,  they 
at  the  same  time  are  eagerly  endeavoring  to  drink  the 
water  in  the  bowl,  every  drop  of  which  must  be  drank. 

The  warriors  then  seize  on  the  two  boys  and  girls — the 
representations  of  war  and  peace — and  use  them  as  roughly 
as  possible — taking  their  pipes  and  war-clubs  from  them, 
and  rolling  them  in  the  dirt  until  the  paint  is  entirely 
rubbed  off  from  their  faces.  Much  as  they  dislike  this  part 
of  the  dance,  they  submit  to  it  through  fear,  believing 
that  after  this  performance  the  power  of  thunder  is  de 
stroyed. 

Now  that  the  water  is  drank  up  and  the  guardians  of  the 
Thunder  bird  are  deprived  of  their  war-clubs  and  pipes,  a 
terrible  wailing  commences.  No  description  could  convey  an 
idea  of  the  noise  made  by  their  crying  and  lamentation. 
All  join  in,  exerting  to  the  utmost  the  strength  of  their 
lungs. 

Before  the  men  shoot  at  thunder,  the  squaws  must  leave 
the  ring.  No  one  sings  at  this  dance  but  the  warrior  who 
gives  it ;  and  while  the  visitors,  the  dancers,  and  the  medi 
cine  men,  women  and  children,  all  are  arrayed  in  their  gay 
est  clothing,  the  host  must  be  dressed  in  his  meanest. 

In  the  dance  Ahahkah  Koyah,  or  to  make  the  Elk  a 
figure  of  thunder,  is  also  made  and  fought  against.  The 
Sioux  have  a  great  deference  for  the  majesty  of  thunder, 
and,  consequently  for  their  own  skill  in  prevailing  or  seem 
ing  to  prevail  against  it. 

A  Sioux  is  always  alarmed  after  dreaming  of  an  elk, 
and  soon  prevails  upon  some  of  his  friends  to  assist  him  in 
dancing,  to  prevent  any  evil  consequences  resulting  from 
his  dream.  Those  willing  to  join  in  must  lay  aside  all 


U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPE ;    OR,   TO   DANCE   AROUND.         265 

clothing,  painting  their  bodies  with  a  reddish  gray  color, 
like  the  elk's.  Each  Indian  must  procure  two  long  sap 
lings,  leaving  the  boughs  upon  them.  These  are  to  aid  the 
Indians  in  running.  The  saplings  must  be  about  twelve  feet 
in  length.  With  them  they  tear  down  the  bark  image  of 
thunder,  which  is  hung  with  a  string  to  the  top  of  the 
pole. 

All  being  ready,  the  elks  run  off  at  a  gallop,  assisted  by 
their  saplings,  to  within  about  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
pole,  when  they  stop  for  a  while,  and  then  start  again  for 
the  pole,  to  which  is  attached  the  figure  of  thunder. 

They  continue  running  round  and  round  this  pole,  con 
stantly  striking  the  figure  of  thunder  with  their  saplings, 
endeavoring  to  knock  it  down,  which  after  a  while  they 
succeed  in  accomplishing. 

The  ceremony  is  now  ended,  and  the  dreamer  has  nothing 
to  fear  from  elks  until  he  dreams  again. 

There  is  no  end  to  the  superstitions  and  fancies  enter 
tained  by  the  Sioux  concerning  thunder.  On  the  cradle  of 
the  Indian  child  we  frequently  see  the  figure  of  thunder 
represented.  It  is  generally  carved  on  the  wood  by  the 
father  of  the  child,  with  representations  of  the  Elk,  accom 
panied  with  hieroglyphic  looking  figures,  but  thunder  is  re 
garded  as  the  type  of  all  animals  that  fly. 

There  are  many  medicine  feasts — and  I  saw  one  cele 
brated  near  the  Oak  Grove  mission,  and  near,  also,  to  the  vil 
lages  of  Good  Road,  and  the  chief  Man  in  the  Clouds.  It 
was  on  a  dark  cold  day  about  the  first  of  March.  We  left 
the  fort  at  about  nine  o'clock  and  followed  the  road  on  the 
St.  Peter's  river,  which  had  been  used  for  many  months,  but 
which,  though  still  strong,  was  beginning  to  look  unsafe. 

12 


266  LEGENDS   OP  THE   SIOUX. 

As  we  advanced  towards  the  scene  of  the  feast,  many 
Indians  from  every  direction  were  collecting,  and  hurry 
ing  forward,  either  to  join  in  the  ceremony  about  to  be 
celebrated,  or  to  be  spectators.  We  ascended  quite  a  high 
hill,  and  were  then  at  the  spot  where  all  the  arrange 
ments  were  made  to  celebrate  one  of  the  most  sacred  forms 
of  their  religion.  Many  of  the  Indians  to  be  engaged  in  the 
performance  were  entirely  without  protection  from  the  severe 
cold — their  bodies  being  painted  and  their  heads  adorned 
with  their  choicest  ornaments,  but  throwing  aside  even 
their  blankets,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  ceremony.  The 
Indians  continued  to  assemble.  At  eleven  o'clock,  the  dance 
commenced.  Although  I  could  not  faithfully  describe,  yet 
I  never  can  forget  the  scene.  The  dark  lowering  sky — the 
mantle  of  snow  and  ice  thrown  over  all  the  objects  that 
surrounded  us,  except  the  fierce  human  beings  who  were 
thus,  under  Heaven's  arch  for  a  roof,  about  to  offer  to  their 
deities  a  solemn  worship. 

Then  the  music  commenced,  and  the  horrid  sounds  in 
creased  the  wildness  of  the  scene  ;  and  the  contortions  of  the 
medicine  man,  as  he  went  round  and  round,  made  his  coun 
tenance  horrible  beyond  expression.  The  devoted  atten 
tion  of  the  savages,  given  to  every  part  of  the  ceremony, 
made  it  in  a  measure  interesting.  There  were  hundreds 
of  human  beings  believing  in  a  Great  Spirit,  and  anxious 
to  offer  him  acceptable  service ;  but  how  degraded  in  that 
service  !  How  fallen  from  its  high  estate  was  the  soul  that 
God  had  made,  when  it  stooped  to  worship  the  bones  of  ani 
mals,  the  senseless  rock,  the  very  earth  that  we  stood  upon! 
The  aged  man,  trembling  with  feebleness,  ready  to  depart 
to  the  spirit's  land,  weary  with  the  weight  of  his  infirmi- 


U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPE  ;   OR,   TO   DANCE   AROUND.        267 

ties — the  warrior  treading  the  earth  with  the  pride  of  mid 
dle  age — the  young  with  nothing  to  regret  and  everything 
to  look  forward  to, — all  uniting  in  a  worship  which  they 
ignorantly  believe  to  be  religion,  but  which  we  know  to  be 
idolatry. 

I  was  glad  to  leave  the  scene,  and  turn  towards  the  house 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pond,  who  lives  near  the  spot  where  the 
feast  was  celebrated.  Here,  pursuing  his  duties  and  studies, 
does  this  excellent  man  improve  every  moment  of  his  time 
to  the  advantage  of  the  Sioux.  Always  ready  to  converse 
kindly  with  them  in  order  to  gain  their  confidence — giving 
medicine  to  the  sick,  and  food  to  the  hungry  ;  doing  all  that 
lies  in  his  power  to  administer  to  their  temporal  comfort, 
he  labors  to  improve  their  condition  as  a  people.  How  can 
it  better  be  done  than  by  introducing  the  Christian  religion 
among  them  ?  This  the  missionaries  are  gradually  doing ; 
and  did  they  receive  proper  assistance  from  government, 
and  from  religious  societies,  they  would  indeed  go  on  their 
way  rejoicing. 

Placed  under  the  government  of  the  United  States,  these 
helpless,  unhappy  beings  are  dependent  upon  us  for  the 
means  of  subsistence,  in  a  measure,  and  how  much  more 
for  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  ?  Churches  will  soon 
rise  where  the  odious  feast  and  medicine  dance  are  cele 
brated,  but  will  the  Indians  worship  there?  When  the 
foundations  of  these  churches  are  laid,  the  bones  of  the 
original  owners  of  the  country  will  be  thrown  out — but 
where  will  be  the  souls  of  those  who  were  thrust  out  of 
their  country  and  their  rights  to  make  way  for  us  ? 

I  have  seen  where  literally  two  or  three  were  met  to 
gether — where  in  a  distant  country  the  few  who  celebrated 


268  LEGENDS   OF  THE  SIOUX. 

the  death  of  the  Redeemer  were  assembled — where  the 
beautiful  service  of  our  church  was  read,  and  the  hearts 
that  heard  it  responded  to  its  animating  truths.  We  re 
joiced  that  the  religion  which  was  our  comfort  was  not  con 
fined  to  places ;  here  were  no  altars,  nor  marble  tablets — 
but  here  in  this  humble  house  we  knew  God  would  meet 
and  be  with  us. 

An  Indian  silently  opened  the  church  door  and  entered. 
As  strange  to  him  was  the  solemn  decorum  of  this  scene, 
as  to  us  were  the  useless  ceremonies  we  every  day  wit 
nessed.  He  watched  the  countenance  of  the  clergyman, 
but  he  knew  not  that  he  was  preaching  the  doctrine  of  a 
universal  religion.  He  saw  the  sacred  book  upon  the  desk, 
but  he  could  not  read  the  glorious  doctrine  of  a  world  re 
deemed  by  a  Saviour's  blood.  He  heard  the  voice  of  prayer, 
but  how  could  his  soul  like  ours  rise  as  on  eagle's  wings, 
and  ascend  to  the  throne  of  God !  Who  was  he,  this  in 
truder  ?  It  may  be  a  descendant  of  those  who  guarded  the 
oracles  of  God,  who  for  a  time  preserved  them  for  us. 

No  wonder  he  tired  and  turned  away.  Not  his  the  fault 
that  he  did  not  join  in  the  solemn  service,  but  ours.  If  we 
disregard  the  temporal  wants  of  the  Dahcotah,  can  we 
shut  our  ears  against  their  cry,  that  rises  up  day  after  day, 
and  year  after  year, — Show  us  the  path  to  happiness  and 
God? 


/.  x/// 


v'  ^rz*.,< 


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